Removing Tiny Filter Embedded in Vein Takes Expertise Unique to Stanford Hospital
Susan Karnstedt's Greenfield filter punctured a major vein and her small intestine. Dr. William Kuo removed the filter, treating her pain and saving her life.
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The IVC Filter Clinic offers patient consults, scheduling, coordination, follow up, and education. We invite you to explore your treatment options at Stanford IR, and we look forward to managing any issues related to your IVC filter.
We look forward to seeing you at your upcoming visit in the Stanford Filter Clinic. Many patients have questions about logistics of the visit and coordination of the procedure, especially for those traveling from out of the area. Below is a list of common questions and answers that will apply to most patients. If you have additional questions or believe an answer is not appropriate for your situation, please feel free to call.
Once we contact your insurance company, you will be called to schedule the procedure. We cannot schedule your procedure prior to checking with your insurance company to see if authorization is required.
Before you travel to Stanford for your procedure, our office will check with your insurance company to see if authorization is required for the proposed procedure. We will contact you if there is any concern of insurance coverage. You also may want to take a pro-active approach as well and contact customer service at your insurance company to verify that Stanford University Medical Center is a participating provider under your insurance plan.
As a disclaimer, all insurance companies tell us "precertification authorization does not guarantee insurance carrier payment of services for patients and physician services," so we will pass on the same legal jargon to you. In our experience, most services that we receive prior authorization for are covered in the end.
Please contact the Filter Clinic Coordinator at 1-650-723-3893 to discuss next steps in determining your clinical and financial options. If you don't have insurance, there may be Financial Assistance options available to help pay for this procedure.
No to both. Please continue your current blood thinner regimen (if you are on one). We will check to make sure your blood is not too thin when you arrive, but in general we like your INR to be between 2.0 – 3.0. At your consultation visit we will determine whether you will need to take a blood thinner after your procedure, and if so, for how long.
In general, your medications can be continued with a few exceptions. These include: hormone therapy (birth control pills for example) and metformin (Glucophage). Please inform our clinic coordinator if you take these medications.
Yes, unless you have other medical reasons for flying to be unsafe.
Most patients are discharged the same day, but occasionally a patient is kept overnight in the hospital for observation. Because of this possibility, we recommend booking your return flight at least two days after the procedure.
A list of nearby hotels is available on Stanford Hospital's website.
If you do not have internet access, a copy of this list can be faxed or mailed to you by our clinic coordinator.
We hope this answered all or most of your questions about insurance and procedure scheduling. If not, please contact us:
650-723-3893 - Filter Clinic Coordinator
650-736-9081 - Procedure Scheduling/Nursing Triage
Susan Karnstedt's Greenfield filter punctured a major vein and her small intestine. Dr. William Kuo removed the filter, treating her pain and saving her life.
Some patient types may self-refer for consultation appointments. Please call us if you're unsure if a doctor referral is required.
If you need to reschedule your appointment, please call us at least 24 hours prior to your visit.
Once you are scheduled you will be emailed or mailed a confirmation package that includes the time and location of your appointment, maps, a medical history form, and any patient education pertinent to your visit.
International Patients
Phone: +1 650-723-8561
Email: IMS@stanfordhealthcare.org
Stanford Health Care provides comprehensive services to refer and track patients, as well as the latest information and news for physicians and office staff. For help with all referral needs and questions, visit Referral Information.
You may also submit a web referral or complete a referral form and fax it to 650-320-9443 or email the Referral Center at ReferralCenter@stanfordhealthcare.org.
Please fax us a completed new patient referral form to 650-725-0533 along with any pertinent medical records. You can also call us at 650-736-9081 for clinic and procedure consult requests. If you have access to be able to send imaging studies (actual images on CD), please forward them to:
Interventional Radiology
300 Pasteur Drive, Rm H3600
Stanford, CA 94305
Our requested images and lab testing is listed below; however, we are happy to help coordinate this testing when appropriate.
An initial consultation typically takes 60–90 minutes. If your office is scheduling multiple appointments for the same day, please allow enough time between appointments, so that we can provide the best care possible.
For all in-patient referrals:
Labs
Imaging
We offer outpatient consultations in the following areas:
To request an appointment by phone, call 650-736-9081.