Guidewire entrapment during deployment of the over-the-guidewire stainless steel Greenfield filter: a device design-related complication.

The Greenfield filter (Medi-tech/Boston Scientific, Watertown, Mass) is widely used for the prevention of pulmonary embolism. The latest version is a stainless steel over-the-wire filter. The purpose of the guidewire is to facilitate placement of the device down through the atrium or through tortuous vessels and to prevent tilting of the released filter. A case of entrapment of the guidewire in the filter after deployment through the right internal jugular approach and its recovery by reentering it into the sheath is presented. To prevent this complication, the guidewire should be removed completely before releasing this type of filter. The potential risk of tilting the filter does not outweigh the risk of guidewire entrapment.