Caval Penetration with Retroperitoneal Hemorrhage Following Placement of an Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter.

Placement of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters is an increasingly common request at our institution. The rise in utilization of caval filtration is probably multifactorial and includes pulmonary embolism (PE) prophylaxis most notably in the setting of trauma, the approval and widespread use of temporary/removable filters, and the perceived low complication rates associated with new generation filter designs. We present a unique case of IVC penetration by a new generation filter that resulted in a retroperitoneal hemorrhage in a fully anticoagulated patient.