A filtering device is inserted inside the IVC, a large vein in the abdomen that returns blood from the lower half of the body to the heart, during the implantation of an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter. Sometimes, blood clots in the legs and pelvic veins can go to the lungs and produce a pulmonary embolism or obstruction. IVC filters work to stop big clots from getting to the heart and lungs, lowering the risk of pulmonary embolism. Patients who don’t respond to or are unable to receive standard medical treatment, such as blood thinners, are treated with them.
