IVC Filter Removal Using a Robotic Catheter

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters, while efficacious when used appropriately, have come under a great deal of federal scrutiny due to their over utilization and failure to remove them in a timely fashion. Although most can be removed using commercially available devices, there remain some filters which resist removal. This is usually due to the filter tilting, or being left in longer than recommended prior to retrieval. Filter tilting is relatively common, and use of angled guide catheters has been proposed as a means of steering some of the commercially available snare systems. In this video, the authors demonstrate how a robotic catheter can be used to steer a snare in order to capture a tilted filter.