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MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: The prostate gland is a walnut-sized gland in men. It is located at the base of the bladder, and wraps around the urethra. Cancer of the prostate is one of the most common types of cancer in men. Radical prostatectomy is a surgical procedure in which the prostate gland, surrounding tissue, and seminal vesicles are removed. Depending on your situation, your surgeon may also choose to remove some lymph nodes. Just before your surgery, an intravenous line will be started. You may be given antibiotics through the IV to decrease your chance of infection. You'll be given general, spinal, or epidural anesthesia. If you receive general anesthesia, a breathing tube will be inserted through your mouth and down your throat to help you breathe during the operation. If you receive spinal, or epidural anesthesia, you won't need a breathing tube. You'll be given sedation to help you relax. Radical prostatectomy can take between 90 minutes and four hours. Three different approaches may be used-- open retropubic, open perineal perineal, or laparoscopic. In an open retropubic prostatectomy, the prostate is removed through an incision in the lower part of the abdomen. In an open perineal prostatectomy, the prostate is removed through an incision in the perineum, which lies between the rectum and the scrotum. In laparoscopic prostatectomy, your surgeon places instruments into your abdominal cavity through small, keyhole incisions, or ports. He or she dissects the prostate from its surrounding structures, and removes the gland through one of the slightly widened ports. Depending on whether the cancer has spread, your surgeon may also remove tissue surrounding the prostate gland, including the seminal vesicles and lymph nodes. Regardless of the type of procedure, your surgeon will carefully inspect the area around the prostate before removing any tissue, taking care to minimize damage to nerves in the area. At the end of the operative procedure, a catheter would be put into your bladder to keep it drained. This will usually be left in place for 10 days to 2 weeks after surgery. Soon after your surgery, your breathing tube will be removed, and you will be taken to the post-surgical recovery area for monitoring. You will be given pain medication as needed. You may continue to receive antibiotics through your IV. Your bladder maybe flushed intermittently with a sterile solution to washout accumulated blood and clots. Most patients are released from the hospital two days after the procedure.
"Thank you for the splendid medical-legal art work you did for us in the
case of a young girl who was blinded by a bb pellet. As a result of your
graphic illustrations of this tragic injury, we were able to persuade the
insurance company to increase their initial offer of $75,000.00 to
$475,000.00, just short of their policy limits.
We simply wanted you to know how pleased we were with your work which, to
repeat, was of superlative character, and to let you know that we would be
more than willing to serve as a reference in case you ever need one. Many
thanks for an extraordinary and dramatic depiction of a very serious injury
which clearly "catapulted" the insurance company's offer to a "full and
fair" amount to settle this case."
Philip C. Coulter Coulter &Coulter Roanoke, VA
"At 3 PM it hit me--I needed exhibits of a tracheostomy, a coronary artery
bypass and a deep vein thrombosis--all in time for a for-trial video
deposition the next day. The Doe Report had each exhibit on line. In
addition, I ran across an exhibit I hadn't even thought of: reduced ejection
fraction after a heart attack. Because this was a video deposition, I could
use the e-mail version of the medical exhibit, print it on my color copier,
and let the camera zoom in. For $400, less than one blow-up by one of The
Doe Report's competitors, I got four first-rate exhibits in less than a day.
The Doe Report saved me time and money."
"Our firm was able to settle our case at an all day mediation yesterday and
I am confident that the detail and overall appearance of the medical
illustrations significantly contributed to the settlement. When we require
medical illustrations in the future, I will be sure to contact [MLA]."
Noel Turner, III
Burts, Turner, Rhodes & Thompson
Spartanburg, SC
"We got a defense verdict yesterday! Your exhibit was extremely helpful in
showing the jury how unlikely it is to damage all four of the nerve branches
which control the sense of taste."
Karen M. Talbot
Silverman Bernheim & Vogel, P.C.
Philadeplphia, PA
Medical Legal Art creates medical demonstrative evidence (medical
illustrations, drawings, pictures, graphics, charts, medical animations,
anatomical models, and interactive presentations) for use during legal
proceedings, including research, demand letters, client conferences,
depositions, arbitrations, mediations, settlement conferences, mock jury
trials and for use in the courtroom. We do not provide legal or medical
advice. If you have legal questions, you should find a lawyer with whom you
can discuss your case issues. If you have medical questions, you should seek the advice of a healthcare provider.
