My Ivory Tower, Know-it-all, Experience free (comparatively speaking), Solomonish, worldly take on this is:
Filter removal is manageable most of the time.
If there is some hideous application where you can't even swaddle the filter then any tool anyone can think of might help.
EXAMPLE:
Sis' sideways mounted oil filter ('99 Jeep 4.0l) was a dripper so I perched my flexible drain PIG (green, rubbery flat thing) into position, unscrewed it a bit and let it dribble until empty into the catch can. Then unscrew it the rest of the way.
I suppose a puncture tool could've been used but the PIG did good.