It makes sense to me that we are flesh and blood. We aren't robots. Metal devices are not something we are born with. Yes, I suppose they help save lives, but who knows what kinds of problems these devices can cause in the long run, or any other metal device. We are not robots!

"who knows what kinds of problems these devices can cause in the long run" - really? It was pretty clearly outline in the article. And 900 incidents at 30,000/year for 4.5 years is > 99.999% success rate. And your probably meant we are not cyborgs (organic and mechanical) not robots (all mechanical). Though your comments do seem to indicate a short-circuit of some kind.

A report like this is useless. It is an attention seeking maneuver by the author. This many complications in one hospital suggests bad technique unless it can be duplicated elsewhere. It could also suggest bad judgement or bad filter construction. Patients get these filters because they are very sick, and often as a last resort. If you try to remove them, they may tear the vein open. This is a bad thing to happen in a critically ill patient. Filters should not be used except as a last resort and NOT with the intention of removing them later, unless it is at autopsy. ANY foreign body placed in a patient is a source for a potentially incurable and fatal infection. These should be patients in whom conventional anticoagulation has failed for some reason and not just ones who are subjected to whimsy. Often a very sick patient'sonly recourse, in the hands of a doctor who is not paying attention or has bad judgement, is to hemorrhage or clot something off.

This should be a reminder to both the patients and family to follow up with the doctors on filters. I wonder how many people have complications because of lack of follow up. This is one of those expensive things to do that cost money and can easily be cut from a budget. Only later you find out how much more it costs because you did not follow up.

my husband had to have a filter put in 10 yrs ago and he has done very well with it, he was a very ill man and Dr's had to do it to keep the clots from going to his lungs where he was in the hospital for 6 months, laying in bed like he had to can cause blood clots to form in the legs and then move to the heart or lungs if not taken care of, so if it will save him then yes i agree with having it!