In this study, the link between the hemodynamics produced and the clinical data observed for three specific Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filters was investigated. The Laser Photochromic Dye Tracer technique was used to assess the flow fields generated by the unoccluded and partially occluded Greenfield Over-the-Wire, Cordis TrapEase and Mobin-Uddin Umbrella Filters (MUUF). Velocimetric and shear analysis revealed that the MUUF and TrapEase filters produced stagnation/recirculation zones.Clinical data spanning more than 30 years describing caval occlusion and recurrent pulmonary embolism, as measurements of filter performance, were compiled from peer reviewed literature and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database. The hemodynamic results for all three filters demonstrate that flow stagnation or recirculation appeared to induce filter thrombosis, and overall, these results should aid in the design of more effective vena cava filters.