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MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: Your doctor may recommend a hemorrhoidectomy to remove your hemorrhoids if they do not respond to more conservative treatment. Hemorrhoidal veins are blood vessels within the walls of the rectum and anal canal. Hemorrhoids, also known as piles, occur when these veins become swollen and the tissue around them becomes inflamed. A swollen vein near the opening of the anal canal is called an external hemorrhoid. A swollen vein within the rectum is called an internal hemorrhoid. Internal hemorrhoids are classified by how advanced they are. First-degree internal hemorrhoids are those that always remain inside the rectum. Second-degree internal hemorrhoids will extend outside the rectum during a bowel movement, and then return to the inside of the rectum on their own. Third-degree internal hemorrhoids extend outside the rectum during a bowel movement, and then must be pushed back inside the rectum. Fourth-degree internal hemorrhoids always remain outside the rectum, and cannot be pushed back in. Before a hemorrhoidectomy, you may be given local or general anesthesia. For general anesthesia, you will be given medications to put you to sleep through breathing mask or through an IV line. A breathing tube will be inserted through your mouth and into your windpipe to help you breathe during the operation. Your surgeon will begin by using a scalpel, electrocautery, or laser to make an incision in the tissue around the hemorrhoid to expose the swollen vein. Your surgeon may tie off the swollen vein in order to keep it from bleeding when it is removed. Your surgeon will then remove the swollen vein and inflamed tissue. Your wound may be left open, or your surgeon may suture it closed. Finally, your surgeon will place medicated bandages over the wound, to aid in healing and protect from infection. The procedure generally takes about an hour. After your procedure, your breathing tube will be removed. You will be instructed to eat a high-fiber diet and drink plenty of fluids to help prevent constipation during your recovery, which usually lasts two weeks to two months. Your doctor may recommend warm baths, medications, and/or stool softeners, to make you more comfortable in the days after your procedure. Most people are able to return home the day after the procedure, but some will need to stay in the hospital for one to two days. After you return home, you should call your doctor immediately if you experience fever, excessive pain, drainage from your wound, redness, or swelling.
"Thank you very much for the great work on the medical exhibits. Our trial
resulted in a $16 million verdict for a 9 year old boy with catastrophic
injuries, and the medical illustrations definitely played key role in the
trial."
David Cutt
Brayton Purcell
Salt Lake City, UT
"I wanted to take some time out to let you know what a wonderful job you did
with the 'collapsed lung/fractured rib' illustrations. They were both
detailed and accurate. My medical expert was comfortable working with them
and he spent at least an hour explaining to the jury the anatomy of the
lungs, the ribs and the injuries depicted in the illustrations. Needless to
say, the jury was riveted to the doctor during his testimony.
The jury returned a verdict for $800,000.00 and I'm sure we would not have
done so well if not for the visualizations we were able to put forth with
your assistance. Lastly, my special thanks to Alice [Senior Medical
Illustrator] who stayed late on Friday night and patiently dealt with my
last minute revisions."
Daniel J. Costello
Proner & Proner
New York, NY
"For modern audiences, it is absolutely essential to use medical
demonstrative evidence to convey the severity and extent of physical
injuries to a jury. Your company's high quality illustrations of our
client's discectomy surgery, combined with strong expert testimony, allowed
the jury to fully appreciate the significance of our client's injuries.
We are very pleased with a verdict exceeding $297,000.00, far in excess of
the $20,000.00 initially offered by the defendant. The medical demonstrative
evidence provided by Medical Legal Art was an asset we could not have
afforded to have been without."
Todd J. Kenyon
Attorney at Law
Minneapolis, MN
"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."
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.
