Successful Retrieval of 29 ALN Inferior Vena Cava Filters at a Mean of 25.6 Months after Placement

Purpose To prospectively evaluate the outcomes of ALN inferior vena cava (IVC) filter extractions after long-term implantation (ie,>1 y). Materials and Methods Between November 2004 and January 2011, 503 retrievable ALN IVC filters were implanted, but only 188 (37%) were addressed for removal. Because it was suspected that a subset of patients had not been referred for IVC filter retrievals, between November 2008 and January 2011, all patients who still had an ALN filter that had been implanted at least 1 year previously were systematically recalled. For those patients, the relative benefits and risks of filter removal were evaluated by a multidisciplinary conference. If deemed necessary by the conference, filter removals were performed. The endpoints were the feasibility and safety of filter retrieval, which were based on an evaluation of the success rates, pre- and postprocedure complications, and dosimetric assessments. Results Twenty-nine patients still retained their filters at least 1 year following implantation. The mean interval between implantation and retrieval was 25.6 months (range, 14.8–40.8 mo), and extractions were performed on eight patients who had received a filter at least 2 years earlier. The longest dwell time was 40 months. All filters were extracted successfully without complications. Conclusions Optional ALN filter retrievals can be performed safely after more than 1 year following implantation.