Cook Medical manufactures the Günther Tulip, a retrievable IVC filter. If it is not retrieved when a patient is not at risk of a pulmonary embolism, the risk of complications increases dramatically. These complications include embolization, fracture, migration, organ damage, additional surgery, and even death.
What You Can Do & How a Cook Günther Tulip Lawsuit Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently evaluating IVC filter cases in all 50 states, regardless of whether you have been injured or not. If you or somebody you know was implanted with an IVC filter, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Günther Tulip Lawsuits
- May 31, 2016 — A man from Texas who was injured by a Günther Tulip vena cava filter has filed a federal lawsuit against Cook Medical. Click here to read more.
Cook Günther Tulip Information
The Günther Tulip is an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter manufactured by Cook Medical. It has been on the market in Europe since 1992 and the United States since 2003. It is designed with 12 filter wires, including 4 legs that are each 44-mm in length.
It is designed to catch blood clots in the top of the filter while still allowing blood to flow through the vena cava. This helps prevent pulmonary embolism in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), especially patients who cannot take a blood-thinning medication.
What is the problem?
The Günther Tulip is a retrievable IVC filter, which means it is only intended for short-term protection against pulmonary embolism. If it is left in a patient for more than 3-4 months, there is a higher risk of complications like filter fracture or migration. This can make it very difficult to retrieve the filter.
Embolization occurs when broken pieces of an IVC filter travel to the heart, where they are impossible to remove. This can lead to long-term complications, perforation of the heart muscle, arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), bleeding, sudden heart attack, and death.
In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a Safety Communication to warn about the increased risk of complications when retrievable filters were not removed:
“Since 2005, the FDA has received 921 device adverse event reports involving IVC filters, of which 328 involved device migration, 146 involved embolizations (detachment of device components), 70 involved perforation of the IVC, and 56 involved filter fracture. Some of these events led to adverse clinical outcomes in patients.”
Study Finds Günther Tulip Perforation Risk
April 2012 — Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology has published a study demonstrating a high risk of vena caval perforation with longer indwelling times for the Günther Tulip filter.
After analyzing data on 50 patients who were implanted with a Cook Celect or Günther Tulip from July 2007 to March 2009, researchers found:
- All of the filters showed some degree of vena caval perforation within 71 days.
- Filter tilt was also seen in 40% of the patients.
- In 86% of patients, at least one component of the filter completely perforated the vena cava.
Do I have a Cook Günther Tulip Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is evaluating IVC filter cases in all 50 states, regardless of whether you were injured or not. If you or someone you know received an IVC filter implant, please contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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