Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Attorney Blog

August, 2010 -- Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg, and Jeck, P.C. proudly announced today that Stewart J. Eisenberg and Kenneth M. Rothweiler have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Medical Malpractice Law. Rothweiler was also recognized as a "Best Lawyer" in the area of Mass Torts.

For over a quarter of a century, Best Lawyers has been regarded by the legal profession and the public as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. The selection process to Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer-review survey comprising more than 3.1 million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the country.

Stewart J. Eisenberg, the co-founder and senior partner of the law firm Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C., has represented victims of catastrophic injuries and death for almost 30 years. He is the Past President of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (formerly PATLA), and the Immediate Past President of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Eisenberg has been voted a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer since the inception of the award, and is named by LawDragon Magazine as one the nation's best plaintiff's lawyers. He has been honored by the American Trial Lawyers Association as one of the state's top 100 plaintiff's trial lawyers. A frequent author and lecturer, he is the recipient of the Milton D. Rosenberg Award from the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association for his years of tireless service to the organization.

Eisenberg's first multi-million dollar verdict of $2.4 million dollars was in the landmark case of Feld v. Merrian, where he represented the victims of a brutal criminal assault against the landlord of an apartment complex for failing to provide adequate security. His string of multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements has continued throughout his distinguished career.

Kenneth M. Rothweiler is the co-founder and senior partner of the law firm Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C., and also chairs the firm's management committee. He is dedicated to complex personal injury litigation, specifically in medical malpractice, and has achieved a reputation for providing exemplary legal counsel, which has resulted in numerous multi-million dollar verdicts, settlements and judgments for his clients. Rothweiler is recognized as one of the top trial lawyers in Pennsylvania, and has been named as one of the top 100 Trial Lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association. He has been voted a Super Lawyer by his peers consistently, and is a regular contributor on FOX 29's 10 o'clock news. A former President of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, Rothweiler has been recognized by Lawdragon Magazine as one of the nations top trial lawyers. He is currently President-elect of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice ("PAJ").

It was once believed that 2 in every 100,000 children are victims of a stroke but thanks to the work of doctors at the Pediatric Stroke Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia it is now estimated that 12 in every 100,000 children suffer from strokes.

Strokes are so uncommon in children that parents and many doctors never imagine the child is suffering from a stroke although they may be presenting with the signs and symptoms associated with a stroke. In most cases strokes aren't recognized in children until 24 hours after the first sign or symptom. In all stroke cases, time is of the essence, the faster a stroke is diagnosed and treated the less brain damage the patient will experience. Those at the highest risk for a stroke are children born with a hole in their heart and those with vascular problems however the risk is so low that they are not routinely screened for a stroke.

Children suffering from a stroke present the same symptoms of adults suffering from a stroke. The child may lose the ability to walk, speak, use one side of their body, and may become disoriented. Child stroke suffers are more capable of leading a healthy and active life than those who experience a stroke as an adult. A child's brain is still developing and is able to work around those areas affected by the stroke and many return to full health with no disabilities or impairments.

Related Web Sources:
Children Don't Have Strokes? Just Ask Jared

For Philadelphia area women to best way to diagnosis an abnormal mammography is a needle biopsy but patients and physicians now have a new technique to aid in distinguishing between cancer and benign breast lesions.

The new technique, elastography, is added to a breast ultrasound study and measures the elasticity of the lesion. Malignant breast masses tend to be stiffer than cancerous masses. While ultrasound studies have been used for years to determine if the abnormalities on the mammogram were solid masses, it fails to distinguish if solid masses are cancerous.

A seven year study at a hospital in London compared elastography with needle biopsies and found that the elastography procedure correctly identified 98 percent of cancerous lesions. The study also discovered that elastography is more accurate in gauging the size of the lesions than a traditional ultrasound.

The new technique will not eliminate breast biopsies but an ultrasound performed with elastography will help patients and physicians make more informed decisions.

Related Web Sources:

Ask Dr. H: Needle biopsy still the best cancer test

Why is there now a new recommendation that mammograms not be routinely performed until a woman turns 50? Undoubtedly, the reason is cost. Isn't it interesting that this recommendation comes out on the eve of passage of a Health Care Reform Act?

Women in Pennsylvania and those within the United States were surprised when recently the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued new breast cancer screening guidelines.

These new breast cancer screening guidelines recommended against routine mammography screening in women before the age of 50 years and ending screening at age of 74.

Women were understandably upset and outraged by these new guidelines which set forth a mere 24 year window in which women are screened on a every two year basis, (making that a 12 year window) for the detection of breast cancer, which is a well known and leading cause of cancer and morality in women. Notably these new guidelines are in opposition with other existing breast cancer screening guidelines from such well known and relied upon sources as the American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology.

These new guidelines update and replace the 2002 USPSTF guidelines and currently recommend:
• Against routine screening mammography in women aged 40-49 years of age
• Women ages 50 to 74 should undergo screening mammography every two (2) years
• Currently the task force finds no proven benefit/risk of screening mammography in women over 74 years of age.
• Currently the task force has determined there is insufficient evidence of additional benefits/risks of clinical breast examination (as performed by your doctor during office exams) in women 40 years of age or older, and so are not recommending continuing these exams.
• The USPSTF recommends against doctors teaching women breast self examinations.
• The task force has determined no additional benefits or risks of either digital mammography or MRI as opposed to x-ray mammography as a screening tool.

The USPSTF based its new published guidelines upon published reviews of the efficacy of breast screening based upon x-ray (film) mammography, clinical breast exams, breast self exams, digital mammography and MRI and upon 2 studies performed at the request of the task force. The task force reviewed the benefits and risks of screening, the effect it has upon health care costs and the timing (every 1 or 2 years), onset (age to initiate screening) and duration (ending at age 74) of breast cancer screening.

The reviewers cite that for women ages 39-49 mammography screening was associated with a 15% decrease in breast cancer mortality rates. They noted however, that there is lack of screening data for women over the age of 70. Overall radiation exposure from mammography is considered to be low and was not noted to alter screening practices by doctors. Over-diagnosis from mammography screening was determined to be 1 to10 %. Younger women were noted to have more false positive mammography results requiring additional imaging but fewer biopsies. Breast self exams were determined to result in more benign biopsy results and were associated with no decreases in mortality rates and so they are recommending doctors no longer teach this screening exam to women.

As an effort to recognize women who may fall outside these guidelines the USPSTF notes that women ages 40-49 who are at high-risk for breast cancer are encouraged to consult with their doctors concerning when to begin screening mammography.

The results of this recommendation if followed could be devastating to women. Over the years, we have represented many women who have suffered from breast cancer, some of whose families have lost them due to a delay in diagnosis of their breast cancer.

As we know the earlier you detect cancer the better the chance of a cure. Many women will lose their opportunity for early breast cancer detection if these guidelines/recommendations are followed.