Print this pageEndovascular Retrieval of an Intraaortic Greenfield Vena Cava Filter
Back to Program
ELEFTHERIOS S XENOS, David J Minion, Ehab Sorial, Eric D Endean
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY MEDICAL CENTER, LEXINGTON, KY
Background: Aberrant placement of vena cava filters has been documented but only one case of intraaortic deployment. We report the retrieval of an intraaortic Greenfield filter.
Methods: An 89 year old female patient underwent percutaneous Greenfield filter placement through a left femoral approach. Subsequent CT scan revealed the filter to be in the infrarenal aorta (image 1). She was anticoagulated and transported to our facility where she was taken to the operating room. The right femoral artery was exposed. An Amplatz wire was inserted in the aorta through the filter and over this an 18 Fr sheath was placed. An Amplatz Goose neck snare was placed over the filter, closed and the filter collapsed (image2). A second snare was used to manipulate the filter into the sheath, after which the sheath and constrained filter were removed through the femoral artery (image 3).
Results: The patient did well initially. On postoperative day three she developed aspiration pneumonia and respiratory failure. She expired on postoperative day five. A CT of the abdomen revealed no evidence of aortic injury.
Conclusions: In one prior case of intraaortic Greenfield filter placement the filter was left at the aortic bifurcation with no adverse effects over a 4 year follow-up period. In the current report, a snare and large sheath was used to protect the intima from injury by the filter as it was removed. This is the first report of successful retrieval of a misplaced intraaortic Greenfield filter. 
Back to Annual Meeting
Back to Program