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What is ultrasound?? Ultrasound is a simple, safe, painless diagnostic procedure that bounces high-frequency sound waves off parts of the body and captures the returning "echoes" as images. There is no injection or radiation exposure associated with ultrasound.Ultrasound produces very precise images of your soft tissue (heart, blood vessels, uterus, bladder, etc.) and reveals internal motion such as heart beat and blood flow. It can detect diseased or damaged tissues, locate abnormal growths and identify a wide variety of changing conditions including fetal development, which enables our physicians to make a quick and accurate diagnosis. When enhanced with a special Doppler technique, ultrasound can also capture moving blood images of the heart and large blood vessels. What will the exam be like? The technologist performing the ultrasound study on you is known as a sonographer. Associated Radiologists employs only board-certified ultrasonographers. All of our sonographers are highly skilled and educated and work under close supervision with our radiologists. A radiologist will monitor the exam as it progresses to assure that the most accurate results are obtained from your examination. The sonographer will assist you on to the examination table. A conducting gel will be applied on the skin of the area of your body that will be examined. A transducer will be moved slowly over the body part being imaged. The transducer sends a signal to an on-board computer which processes the data and produces the ultrasound image. It is from this image that the diagnosis is made. You won't feel a thing except for the slight pressure and movement of the transducer over the part of the body being imaged. It is important that you remain still and relaxed during the procedure. The ultrasound images will appear on a monitor similar to a TV screen and are recorded either on paper or film or videotape for a detailed study that our radiologist will review and interpret. How long will the exam take? The exam usually takes from 20 to 60 minutes, depending upon the anatomy under study. You may be required to drink water to enhance the quality of the picture (sound travels better through water) and this could lengthen the time of the exam. Click below for specific ultrasound exam information and preparation instructions:
How will I learn the results? The results will be made available to you from your designated health care provider, practitioner, or radiologist depending upon who was your initial contact. |
The information provided within this website is not intended as medical advice. It should never be substituted for a consultation with a healthcare professional. Please contact your physician with questions or concerns about your health condition.