Ultrasound

General Ultrasound

Ultrasound imaging, or sonography, produces images of the inside of the body using high-frequency sound waves. These images are captured in real-time, and are able to show the structure and movement of the organs.

Where do you offer this procedure?

Who is this procedure for?

Ultrasound imaging can be used to monitor and diagnose a wide range of conditions within nearly any system of the body. This test may be performed on patients experiencing pain, swelling or infection in a certain area of the body.

It is especially useful for examining the breasts, bladder, thyroid, abdominal organs and male and female reproductive organs, blood vessels, and for obtaining images of fetuses in the womb. In addition, ultrasound is often used as a real-time guide during needle biopsies for the precise sampling of tissue.

What happens during the procedure?

During the ultrasound procedure, the patient is positioned on an examination table and a warm, clear gel is applied to the area being examined. A transducer is then firmly pressed against the skin and swept back and forth to record the sound waves that are used to obtain the image. The image appears on a computer screen in real time, so that the patient and doctor can view it together.

In some cases, this procedure may involve attaching the transducer to a probe and inserting it into an opening in the body, as in an endorectal or endovaginal ultrasound. The ultrasound exam usually takes from 30 minutes to one hour to complete.

How should I prepare for this procedure?

Patients should wear loose clothing for this procedure that allows for the abdominal area to be easily exposed. You may also be asked to change into a gown. In some cases, such as pelvic/urinary bladder examinations, you may be asked to have drink up to six glasses of water and not empty your bladder before the procedure. In other cases, such as most gallbladder and abdominal examinations, you may be instructed NOT to have anything to eat or drink after midnight before your appointment, or at least 6-8 hours before. The scheduling staff will tell you if you need any of these preparations.

What are the benefits of this procedure?

An ultrasound is a noninvasive, simple procedure that can be used for to diagnose many different conditions by producing images of the soft tissues, which often do not show up well on x-rays. There is no ionizing radiation used during this procedure, and no serious side effects.

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Obstetrical Ultrasound

An obstetrical ultrasound is a routine procedure performed throughout pregnancy to evaluate the health and development of the fetus through ultrasound images. These images show the movement of the fetus and its heartbeat through real time images. The sounds of blood flowing through the heart and umbilical cord can also be heard during this procedure.

Where do you offer this procedure?

Who is this procedure for?

An obstetrical ultrasound is performed during pregnancy to monitor the size, age, health and position of the fetus. Pregnant women will undergo several ultrasound procedures throughout the course of pregnancy to ensure that the fetus is growing at a healthy rate with no serious complications.

How should I prepare for this procedure?

Patients should wear loose clothing for this procedure that allows for the lower abdominal area to be easily exposed. You may also be asked to change into a gown. You may be asked to have drink up to six glasses of water and not empty your bladder before the procedure so that images of the uterus can be easily obtained. This is especially important during the first few months of pregnancy, but may not be required later on.

What happens during this procedure?

During an obstetrical ultrasound procedure, the patient lies on an exam table and a clear gel is applied to the skin of the lower abdominal area to allow for smooth contact with the transducer. The transducer is then moved back and forth across the skin to receive the sound waves of the body and convert them into images that can be viewed on a computer screen in real time. Still images are also taken to be thoroughly reviewed by your doctor. The ultrasound procedure takes about 30-60 minutes to perform.

What are the benefits of this procedure?

An obstetrical ultrasound is a noninvasive procedure that is easy to perform in your doctor’s office and has been used for over 40 years to monitor the fetus during pregnancy, with no harm to the patient or fetus. This procedure provides detailed information throughout the course of pregnancy that helps your doctor ensure a safe and comfortable pregnancy, labor and delivery.

Fetal Ultrasound Timeline

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Doppler Ultrasound

A Doppler ultrasound is a noninvasive procedure used to measure blood flow by bouncing ultrasound waves off of red blood cells. This test can determine how fast blood flows by measuring the rate of change of its frequency. Although a traditional ultrasound procedure is effective in detecting and diagnosing abnormalities throughout the body, it cannot produce images of blood flow. Generally, the Doppler equipment and scanning methods used on the patient are the same equipment as for a general ultrasound test. Additional time maybe required, however, to perform the Doppler part of the examination.

Where do you offer this procedure?

Who is this procedure for?

A Doppler ultrasound is commonly used to diagnose conditions such as blood clots, heart valve defects, blocked arteries, narrowing of an artery, decreased blood circulation and more. It can be used to evaluate blood flow throughout the body, including in the arms, legs, neck and abdomen. In pregnant women, this procedure can be used to evaluate the blood flow of the fetus as well.

How should I prepare for this procedure?

On the day of the Doppler ultrasound procedure, patients should wear loose clothing and should remove all jewelry from the area to be examined. Before the procedure, patients should avoid products with nicotine for two hours, as it may cause blood vessels to constrict and not produce accurate results. You may also be asked to not eat or drink for up to 12 hours before the exam, or may have to drink six glasses of water and avoid urinating to have a full bladder for this procedure.

What happens during the procedure?

The doctor will position you on the exam table so that the targeted area can be easily accessible. Gel will be applied to the area to allow sound waves to pass through, before a transducer is placed on the area and moved along the skin to produce images from the sound waves. The images from this procedure appear on a computer screen during the procedure so that your doctor can view the blood vessels in real time. The entire procedure usually takes 30 to 60 minutes to perform.

What are the benefits of this procedure?

A Doppler ultrasound is the only type of ultrasound exam that can evaluate the blood vessels, and does so through a simple, noninvasive procedure that can easily be performed in your doctor’s office. This procedure does not use any ionizing radiation either.