Access-site thrombosis after placement of inferior vena cava filters with 12-14-F delivery sheaths.

Inferior vena cava filters were placed in 60 patients. Ultrasound (US) of the venous access site was performed before and 3-5 days after filter placement to determine the prevalence of occlusive and nonocclusive access-site thrombosis (AST). Prevalence of symptoms attributable to AST was also evaluated at 1-month clinical follow-up in 58 of the 60 patients. All filters were placed with delivery sheaths with outer diameters of 12-14 F. US depicted development of occlusive AST in six of the 60 patients (10%). Nonocclusive AST developed in 15 (25%). Symptoms related to AST occurred in two of 58 patients (3%). There was a substantially increased prevalence of occlusive thrombus in patients in whom partially occluding thrombus or extrinsic compression in the inferior vena cava or ipsilateral iliofemoral veins was demonstrated on vena cavograms obtained before filter placement. The prevalence of both symptoms attributable to AST and US-detected occlusive thrombus in this series with smaller delivery systems is lower than that reported after percutaneous placement of stainless steel Greenfield filters via 29.5-F (outer diameter) sheaths.