Symptomatic perforation of a retrievable inferior vena cava filter after a dwell time of 5 years.

Symptomatic caval perforation is a rare complication of inferior vena cava filter placement, and there is little evidence on which to base clinical practice in such circumstances. We report a case of caval wall perforation 5 years after insertion of a retrievable Günther Tulip filter (William Cook Europe, Bjaeverskov, Denmark) and describe the operative procedure involved in its removal. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of symptomatic caval perforation caused by a Günther Tulip filter.