Ultrasound Testing

From cancer prevention to prenatal diagnosis: The ultrasound test (sonography) is a painless method of monitoring the inner organs using ultrasonic (sound) waves. The internal structures of the body are able to be presented visually using this method.

 

Why it's done: 

You may need to undergo an ultrasound for a variety of reasons. Ultrasound may be used, among other things, to:

  • Evaluate a fetus
  • Diagnose gallbladder disease
  • Evaluate flow in blood vessels
  • Guide a needle biopsy
  • Guide the biopsy and treatment of a tumor
  • Check your thyroid gland
  • Study your heart
  • Diagnose some forms of infection
  • Diagnose some forms of cancer
  • Reveal abnormalities in the scrotum and prostate

Some commons types of ultrasound tests are:

  • Thyroid gland and vascular
  • Abdomen
  • Echocardiography (sonogram of the heart)
  • Obstetrical ultrasound

 

 

 

How you prepare:
How you prepare for an ultrasound depends on which area of your body needs evaluation:
  • Some ultrasound exams require no preparation.
  • Others require that you forego food and liquids for up to 12 hours before the exam.
  • Still others require that you not urinate before the exam to ensure that your bladder will be full.

When scheduling your ultrasound, ask Dr. Vlad Nusinovich for specific instructions for your particular situation.

What you can expect:
  • During an ultrasound exam, you lie on an examination table. A small amount of warm gel is applied to your skin. The gel helps eliminate the formation of air pockets between the transducer and your body. During an ultrasound, a technician trained in ultrasound imaging (sonographer) presses a small hand-held device (transducer), about the size of a bar of soap, against your skin over the area of your body being examined, moving from one area to another as necessary.
  • Ultrasound is usually a painless procedure. However, you may experience some discomfort as the sonographer guides the transducer over your body, especially if you're required to have a full bladder.
  • Ultrasound is based on the same principles as sonar, a technology used to detect underwater objects. The transducer generates and receives high-frequency sound waves that can't be heard by the human ear.
  • As the sonographer places the transducer on your skin, crystals inside the transducer emit pulses of sound waves that travel into your body. Your tissues, bones and body fluids reflect the sound waves and bounce them back to the transducer. The transducer then sends this information to a computer, which composes detailed images based on the patterns created by the sound waves.

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