Operator errors during percutaneous placement of vena cava filters

Operator errors during percutaneous insertion of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are procedural complications specific to filter placement that cannot be attributed to defects in the device itself. These errors can occur during preplacement imaging of the IVC, selection of the filter, or deployment of the filter. Although technical problems are reported to occur in 5-20% [1] of filter insertions, the precise frequency of operator errors is not known. This pictorial essay reviews the different types of operator errors that can occur during percutaneous insertion of IVC filters.