Percutaneous insertion of the Kimray-Greenfield filter: incidence of femoral vein thrombosis.

Venograms were obtained in 17 patients 5-8 days after percutaneous dilatation of the common femoral vein for insertion of the Kimray-Greenfield inferior vena cava filter. The venograms showed thrombosis of the common femoral vein in seven (41%) of the 17 patients, four of whom were symptomatic. Common femoral vein thrombosis can have serious clinical sequelae. The possibility of this complication should be considered before inserting the filter percutaneously via the femoral vein.