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Prophylactic Inferior Vena Cava Filters Prevent Pulmonary Embolisms in High-Risk Patients Undergoing Major Spinal Surgery
Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques, 06/08/2012
Dazley JM et al. – The findings show that the decreased rate of pulmonary embolism (PE) observed in this and other series is likely because of the use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters, rather than sampling bias inherent when studying a relatively rare problem. The safety of IVC filters in this population is also confirmed. The observed rate of clinical PE is consistent with other published series. Emboli intercepted by filters may more accurately estimate clinically significant emboli prevented. Therefore, cavograms may prove to be a valuable method of assessing the efficacy of these devices in future studies.
