• Mina S Makary, Mensur Koso, and Matthew Yoder.
• Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH.
• Spine. 2024 Apr 15; 49 (8): 569576569-576.

Study DesignSingle-center retrospective chart review study.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of prophylactic inferior vena cava (IVC) filter use for pulmonary embolism (PE) prevention in spine surgery patients.Summary Of Background DataIVC filters can serve an important prophylactic role in preventing PE, though research involving spine surgery patients is sparse.Materials And MethodsThis Institutional Review Board-approved single-center retrospective study assessed the characteristics and outcomes of patients who underwent spine surgery and received perioperative IVC filters for PE prophylaxis from January 2007 until December 2021. Clinical outcomes centered primarily on the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) as well as complications related to filter placement and retrieval. Thrombi that may have been entrapped by the filters were recorded incidentally on computed tomography or during the filter retrieval procedure.ResultsThis cohort included 380 spine surgery patients (female 51%/male 49%; median age, 61) who had received perioperative prophylactic IVC filters. The mean dwell time was 6.7 months (1-39 mo), with an overall 62% retrieval rate. Retrievals were further categorized by retrieval complexity, with 92% classified as routine and 8% as involving advanced removal techniques, while complications involved 1% (four retrievals) and were all minor. Regarding VTE event occurrence, deep vein thrombi (DVT) were experienced by 11% of patients in the postplacement period, with 1% (n=4) experiencing a PE. There were 11 incidences of thrombi that were found within or near the filters (2.9%). A multivariate analysis further assessed patient characteristics that correlated with the occurrence of PE, DVT, entrapped filter thrombi, advanced technique filter removal, and removal complications.ConclusionsIVC filters in this high-risk spine surgery cohort achieved a relatively low rate of DVT and PE as well as a low complication rate, whereas several patient characteristics were identified that correlated with VTE events and filter retrieval outcomes.Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

21 keywords...

hide…