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Coronary Angioplasty - Medical Animation
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: Coronary angioplasty, also called percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or balloon angioplasty, is designed to restore the flow of blood through coronary arteries that have been narrowed or blocked by atherosclerotic plaques or blood clots. When you arrive at the hospital, an intravenous line will be started, you will be placed on a heart monitor, and you will be given an oral or intravenous sedative to help you relax. Most coronary angioplasty procedures last between thirty minutes and three hours. The doctor numbs the skin in your groin area and inserts a needle into your femoral artery. Once the needle is placed, a guide wire is passed through the needle and gently guided through the arterial system to the heart. The needle will be withdrawn and exchanged for a small flexible tube called a sheath permitting access to your femoral artery. At this point, you will be given a blood thinner to reduce the risk of blood clots. Next, a soft, flexible catheter is slipped over the wire and threaded up to the heart. The procedure is monitored using a continuous x-ray imaging devise a called a fluoroscope. You may feel pressure as the wire and sheath are inserted through the groin and pushed through the artery, but you will not feel their movement inside of your arteries. At this point, your doctor will remove the guide wire, position the tip of the catheter just inside the coronary artery to be treated, and inject a special dye. The dye allows the fluoroscope to take x-ray images, called angiograms, of the arteries interior. Any blockages will be clearly identified as the arteries fill with dye. You may feel flushed or slightly nauseated when the dye is injected Once the blockage is identified, your doctor will insert a flexible guide wire into the artery and advance a balloon-tipped catheter over this wire and into position at the site of the blockage. Rapid inflation and deflation of the small balloon pushes the vessel wall out, reestablishing blood flow through the artery. You may feel some chest pain while this is happening. The same procedure is repeated for each blockage being treated. Afterwards, your doctor will withdraw the deflated balloon and catheter from your arteries. Some patients will receive a coronary stent, which is a small tube made of wire mesh designed to prop open the artery once it has been treated. A collapsed stent is placed over the deflated balloon as it is moved into position. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands and locks into place. After the balloon and catheter are withdrawn, the stent remains behind to hold the artery open permanently. After your procedure, a pressure bandage will be applied over the femoral artery to prevent bleeding. You will need to lie on your back for several hours during which time you will be checked periodically for any signs of bleeding or chest pain. You may either be discharged home on the same day or after an overnight stay in the hospital.
"We are extremely pleased with the quality of the medical exhibits and the
timely manner in which they were provided. I will certainly recommend
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Please tell Brian Wilson [Director of Content Development, Senior Medical
Illustrator] that he did an exceptional job on these exhibits."
K. Henderson
Dunaway and Associates
Anderson, SC
"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
"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
"I have found that the personalized medical illustrations prepared by Medical
Legal Art have been very accurate and helpful. The medical doctors, both
treating physicians and expert witnesses, have commented on the accuracy and
professionalism of the medical illustrations. Most importantly, your prompt
service and attention upon even short notice has been tremendous. I can
certainly say that the medical illustrations prepared by Medical Legal Art
have assisted us in bringing cases to a successful resolution."
Paul L. Redfearn
The Redfearn Law Firm, P.C.
Kansas City, MO
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.
