Inferior Vena Cavagram and Filter Placement

An inferior vena cavagram is a procedure in which a thin flexible tube called a catheter is inserted through a vein usually in the neck or groin which allows the physician to take x-ray pictures of the large central vein that serves as a highway for blood return to the heart from the extremities. This is done to evaluate for placement of an inferior vena cava filter. This is a medical device that is permanently inserted into the inferior vena cava below the level of the kidneys to prevent blood clots from the veins in the legs from reaching the lungs.