Recruiting

Forceps vs. SnareForceps vs. Snare IVC Filter Removal

Sponsor:

University of Chicago

Code:

NCT04092192

Conditions

DVT

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

IVC filter removal

Study Details

Brief summary:

IVC filters are mechanical filters placed in a patient's body to trap blood clots in the legs migrating to the lungs. When no longer indicated, interventional radiologists are consulted for IVC filter removal. Currently, many methods for extracting IVC filters exist. Two of the most common methods involve using an endovascular snare device or rigid forceps. We intend to prospectively compare these two methods in an attempt to see if one offers an advantage to the other. This will be compared by evaluating success rates and procedure time.

Conditions

DVT

Study ID

NCT04092192

Start date

Dec 26, 2018

Status verified date

Jan, 2026

Completion date

Jan 30, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jan 30, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

Non-pregnant females
Adult patients (age 18 years and older)
Referred to Interventional Radiology for IVC filter removal
IVC filter implanted less than 6 months with the procedure being performed at UCMC by current IR staff.
Cook Celect filter or Argon Medical Option Elite

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients with outside hospital filter placement
Filters other than Cook Celect or Argon Medical Option Elite
Implantation period >6 months
Evidence of coagulopathy (INR <1.8, platelet count >50k)
Clotting disorder
Central venous occlusion
Prior filter placement/removal.

Study Design

Enrollment

100 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Other

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: Forceps

Subjects randomized to this cohort will have their IVC filter removed using a rigid forceps device that will be used to engage the filter apex directly and allow for the filter to be capture/removed.

active comparator: Snare

Subjects randomized to this cohort will have their IVC filter removed using an endovascular snare (like a lasso) device that is designed to catch the hook of the filter and allow it to be captured.

Interventions

IVC filter removal

In the clinic, it will be explained to patient that they are asked to participate in a study that would randomize them to one of two established techniques for IVC filter removal. It will be explained these are both techniques that are used by interventional radiologists normally used for IVC filter retrieval.

One technique would be the utilization of an endovascular snare (like a lasso) device that is designed to catch the hook of the filter and allow it to be captured.

The other technique described will be the usage of a rigid forceps device that will be used to engage the filter apex directly and allow for the filter to be capture/removed.

Primary outcome measure

Removal success rate [ Time Frame: Procedure date ]
Flouroscopy time [ Time Frame: Procedure start to finish ]
Costs [ Time Frame: Date of procedure up through 6 months following IVC filter removal ]
Procedure related complications [ Time Frame: Date of procedure through 6 months following IVC filter removal ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Osmanuddin Ahmed, MD

773-795-7226 oahmed@uchicago.edu

Pamela Lofton, RN, MSN

773-702-2537

Locations

UChicago Medicine

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637

Contacts

Osmanuddin Ahmed, M.D.

773-795-7226 oahmed@uchicago.edu

Pamela Lofton, RN, MSN

773-702-2537 plofton@uchicago.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Chicago

Last update posted

Jan 7, 2026

Last verified

Jan, 2026

Keywords

IVC filter, filter removal, filter retrieval

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Chicago on 2026-01-07.