This animation may only be used in support of a single legal proceeding and for no other purpose. Read our License Agreement for details. To license this image for other purposes, click here.
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: A surgeon will insert a pacemaker into your body if your hearts conduction system, the electrical system that makes your heart beat, is not working properly. The heart is a muscular organ with four chambers. Blood collects in the hearts two upper chambers, or atria, before filling the two lower chambers, or ventricles. When the ventricles contract, blood in the right ventricle is pumped to the lungs and blood in the left ventricle is pumped to the rest of the body. The heart has a natural pacemaker called the sinoatrial node, or SA node. The pacemaker controls the heart rate by precisely determining when the muscles of the atria and ventricles contract. The electrical signal produced by the SA node reaches the ventricles through a narrow pathway that includes the so called av node and bundle branches. Taken together these pathways are referred to as the conduction system of the heart. Problems with the conduction system can result if the SA node malfunctions, causing the heart to beat too fast, too slow or irregularly. Alternatively, a blockage in the bundle branches can develop, causing the heart to beat more slowly or irregularly. These problems can be due to heart disease, medications or cardiac surgery. Before the procedure, your blood and urine will be tested. You will also have x-rays taken of your chest, and an electrocardiogram, or EKG, will record the electrical activity in your heart. A local anesthetic will be injected into your skin to numb the area where the pacemaker will be inserted. The surgeon will make a small incision beneath your collarbone. The pacemakers leads will be inserted into the subclavian vein and then threaded toward your heart until they reach the right atrium. Your surgeon will view x-ray images on a video screen to position the leads correctly. Once the leads have been tested, they will be connected to the pulse generator. The pulse generator will then be placed in a small pouch that your surgeon will create under the skin beneath your collarbone. Your surgeon will then sew the incision back together. While youre in the hospital, your doctor will monitor your heart rate and blood pressure to be certain the pacemaker is working properly. Before you leave, he or she will make final adjustments to the pacemaker settings. After your procedure, overthe-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, should be sufficient to relieve any pain. You will not be able to drive for about 2 weeks. Periodically, you will need to follow up with your doctor to test and adjust your new pacemaker.
"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
"It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Medical Legal Art. We have
used their services for three years and always found their professionalism,
quality of work, and timely attention to detail to exceed our expectations.
We recently settled two complicated catastrophic injury cases. One medical
malpractice case involving a spinal abscess settled for 3.75 million and the
other involving injuries related to a motor vehicle accident settled for 6.9
million. We consider the artwork provided by MLA to have been invaluable in
helping us to successfully conclude these cases.
I highly recommend MLA to anyone seeking high quality, detailed medical
legal artwork."
E. Marcus Davis, Esq.
Davis Zipperman, Krischenbaum & Lotito
Atlanta, GA www.emarcusdavis.com
"This past year, your company prepared three medical illustrations for our cases; two in which we received six figure awards; one in which we received a substantial seven figure award. I believe in large part, the amounts obtained were due to the vivid illustrations of my clients' injuries and the impact on the finder of fact."
Donald W. Marcari
Marcari Russotto & Spencer, P.C.
Chesapeake, VA
"Whether it's demonstrating a rotator cuff tear, neck movement a few
milliseconds after rear impact, or a proposed lumbar fusion, the Doe Report
represents an instant on-line database of medical illustration for
health-care and legal professionals.
Illustrations can be purchased 'as is' or modified within hours and sent
either electronically or mounted on posterboard. An illustration is worth a
thousand words, as juries perk up and look intently to capture concepts
that are otherwise too abstract. Start with good illustrations, a clear and
direct voice, a view of the jury as 12 medical students on day one of
training, and your expert testimony becomes a pleasure, even on cross
examination. An experienced trial lawyer should also emphasize these
illustrations at the end of trial, as a means of visually reinforcing key
concepts covered.
As a treating physician, I also use these accurate illustrations to educate
my own patients about their medical conditions. The Doe Report is an
invaluable resource, and its authors at MLA have always been a pleasure to
work with."
Richard E. Seroussi M.D., M.Sc.
Diplomate, American Boards of Electrodiagnostic Medicine and PM&R
Seattle Spine & Rehabilitation Medicine
www.seattlespine.info
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.