Ultrasound

Ultrasounds

Ultrasound is the use of sound waves to obtain an image or picture of various organs and tissues in the body. During an ultrasound exam, a transducer is used to transmit harmless, high frequency sound waves through your body. The transducer picks up the echoes of these waves and converts them into an image on a TV monitor. Ultrasound is used to detect various abnormalities, including aneurysms (enlarging of artery walls), gallstones, cysts, and tumors.

Ultrasound is also a common prenatal procedure. Physicians use ultrasounds to determine the condition of a baby, to monitor its development throughout the pregnancy, to confirm due dates, and in some cases, the baby’s sex can also be determined.

Your Ultrasound Exam

A Sonographer, a specially trained technologist, will perform your Ultrasound exam. After you are comfortably positioned on the examination table, a transmission gel will be applied to the area of your body that is being examined. This application makes it easier for the sound waves to reach their destination.

A transducer will be moved slowly over the body area being examined. The transducer should be the only thing you feel during your exam. The Ultrasound procedure is painless. A special transducer, placed in the vagina, will occasionally be needed during a female pelvic ultrasound to better visualize the uterus and ovaries. A radiologist may also come into the exam room and scan as needed.