RIVERTON, Utah (ABC 4 News) – There’s a warning about a clotting device. The medical filters used to stop clots from reaching the lungs or heart could pose their own problems. After we aired the story we got calls from concerned Utahns. One man understands this well and shared his story about his ticking time bomb.
Nothing about it looks like a car. It’s the aftermath of Steven Burbidge's vehicle after his 2007 accident that left him immobile for several months. At risk for blood clots, doctors implanted the cage-like device in one of his major veins called an inferior vena cava filter - or IVC filter.
Sherry Burbidge says, “It's grown into his vein, it's a part of him now.” The temporary filter cannot be removed from Steven because doctors left it in too long. Steven’s mom called the doctors numerous times but claims they did nothing. The filter is now posing its own threat to Steven’s life. Sherry Burbidge says, “They can fracture and shoot into his heart and his lungs and kill him instantly.”
Steven is one of hundreds who have "fallen through the cracks." According to the Food and Drug Ddministration alert they have received 921 complaints involving IVC filters since 2005. and "Some of these events led to adverse clinical outcomes in patients," meaning some died.
It's not new news to Steven whose life went from being an outgoing and avid football player and snowboarder to worrying about his every move. He says, “I think my filter is either going to get dislodged or break apart and it's going to kill me.”
The Burbidges have filed a malpractice lawsuit. Ted McBride is their attorney and says the FDA’s warning could mean a larger medical problem, “This recent report really makes our inquiry go from a local medical malpractice case to possibly a national product liability claim.”
The Burbidges hope their legal battle will prevent anyone else with an IVC filter from being overlooked. Steven says, “I don't know what can make me feel better because the damage is already done but I just hope to get awareness of what's happening.”
The FDA’s alert is what they call their initial communication. They will be reviewing all of their data on this issue before making any final decisions regarding these filters.
If you need to report a problem with the IVC filter, go to the FDA’s website http://www.fda.gov/default.htm
