Client: Austin Urogynecology, Texas
Medium: Digital, (Photoshop)
Completing Illustrations for a Surgeon Treating Women’s Pelvic Disorders
Dr. Shashoua is a surgeon and owner of Austin Urogynecology, a clinic treating women with pelvic disorders based in Texas, USA. Dr. Shashoua specialisess in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery treating urogynecological conditions including urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, bowel incontinence and vulvar vestibulitis for women.
George Shashoua, MD
Dr. Shashoua commissioned us to create a range of custom medical illustrations and our role was to come up with unique illustrations that would show the treatment involved for women with pelvic disorders. This is because women can suffer from stress incontinence which is the leaking of urine when sneezing for example caused by a weakening of the muscles and connective tissues that work to support the bladder and the urethra, as well as urge incontinence which is having to rush to the toilet at short notice. Conditions also include vaginal or organ prolapse which is where the organs drop below their normal anatomical setting and cause a bulge or heaviness occurring in the vagina or lower abdomen.
Dr. Shashoua specialising in treating sufferers with prolapse conditions such as enterorocele, which is prolapse of the small bowel, rectocele which is prolapse of the rectum, cystocele which is prolapse of the bladder, perineal decent which is prolapse or weakness of the pelvic floor muscles. Our task was to create medical illustrations demonstrating these conditions to be used as part of web and printed patient education materials for patients to refer to when seeking advise about their condition.
Pelvic Conditions that can affect Women
Perineal descent
Perineal Descent
Perineal descent is a condition where the perineum bulges below its normal anatomical position descending below the bony outlet of the pelvis. It can be caused by a weakness of the pelvic floor muscles even after normal childbirth, or secondary it can be age related and neuropathic degeneration or traumatic injury during pregnancy and labour.
Our brief was to create illustrations that would show the normal anatomy of the perineum and pelvic floor muscles to include the surrounding anatomy of the balder, uterus, vagina rectum and bowel and then again showing the perineal descent and the descending anatomy forming the bulge. The result to be a side by side comparison for patients to understand the anatomy by studying the change between the two illustrations.
To view the perineal illustrations on the clients website visit here.
Enterocele
Enterocele
Enterocele is a condition where the small bowel has prolapsed and descends into the lower pelvic cavity pushing at the top part of the vagina, creating a bulge. Because the small bowel has prolapsed if will effect the surrounding anatomy as well.
Our brief was to create an illustration that showed how the enterocele caused the bulge through the collapse of the small bowel and how the pelvic floor muscles and the ligaments between the bladder and vagina have weakened, allowing the bladder to also sag into the vagina.
To view the enterocele illustrations on the clients website view here.
Cystocele and rectocele together stage 2
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Pelvic organ prolapse is a prolapse and the dropping of one or more organs into the vagina and severity is classed from stages one to four, four being the prolapsed organ has dropped as far as possible into the vagina. The prolapse can include all the organs such as the bladder, uterus, small intestine and rectum. The prolapse can be caused by weakening of tissues that support the pelvic organs and can be due to age progression, childbirth, changes caused by menopause, previous surgery especially if a hysterectomy has been performed. Our task here was to create an illustration that demonstrated the collapse of multiple organs due to the weakened muscles that normally hold everything in place.
To view the pelvic organ prolapse illustrations on the client website view here.
