First reaching the market back in 1979, retrievable IVC filters are small, metal devices designed to stop potentially dangerous clots from traveling to patients’ lungs. Surgically placed into the veins, these filters have long been thought to be quite helpful in lowering the risk of clot movement in individuals who are unable to take more conventional blood thinning medications due to ancillary health concerns. IVC filters are especially useful in treating those suffering from deep vein thrombosis, a condition in which clots build in the pelvis or lower extremities.