title: Analysis of the transition to percutaneous placement of Greenfield filters.
abstract: To establish whether a transition from surgical to percutaneous placement of Greenfield filters was justified, a review of the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of the two approaches was conducted. Between 1984 and 1989, 168 filters were placed in 169 patients, 48 surgically and 120 percutaneously. Placement was successful in 45 (94%) of the 48 surgical patients and 120 (99%) of the 121 percutaneous patients. Filter misplacement occurred in three (6%) surgical patients and no percutaneous patients. Clinically evident femoral vein thrombosis occurred in only four (5%) of the percutaneous patients, while inferior vena cava thrombosis occurred in three (3%) of the percutaneous patients. One pulmonary embolus occurred after percutaneous filter placement and resulted in death. The cost of percutaneous placement was 58% that of surgical placement. A retrospective review of the experience in our patient population indicates that safety, cost, and ease of insertion make the percutaneous approach the procedure of choice for Greenfield filter placement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, Calif.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hye
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Dory
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Freischlag
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014859:Warfarin