[Animal experiment results with a new vena cava filter].

A new cava filter has been tried in 23 dogs weighing between 16 and 23 kg. The filter consists of a stainless steel basket which can be introduced either antegrade or retrograde through a 10F teflon catheter and which can be removed again within the first four days. The filter was effective in holding back embolising thrombus. In the early stages, even without artificial embolisation, two out of five animals showed clot formation in the basket. After three or four months, all the filters were permeable and on only two occasions was a small amount of thrombus found.