Ultrasound
Using high-frequency sound waves to produce images of soft tissue structures in your body.
What is an ultrasound?
Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to create images of internal organs such as the stomach, heart, tendons, muscles, joints and blood vessels.
Ultrasounds are used to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. This includes:
- diagnosing problems with the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and kidneys
- evaluating blood flow
- guiding a needle for biopsy or tumour treatment
- examining a breast lump
- checking the thyroid gland
- detecting genital and prostate problems
- assessing joint inflammation (synovitis)
- evaluating metabolic bone disease
- diagnosing gynaecological or bladder conditions
Ultrasound scans are usually carried out by sonographers, except for vascular ultrasound (Doppler ultrasound) scans which are always carried out by a specially trained vascular scientist.
Please note, we don't offer ultrasounds to check foetal development during pregnancy.
How to prepare
Most ultrasound scans require no preparation.
There are a few exceptions:
- Gallbladder ultrasound – you may not be able to eat or drink for up to six hours before the exam.
- Pelvic ultrasound – you might need to drink up to six glasses of water two hours before the exam and not urinate until the exam is completed.
How is ultrasound carried out?
Your doctor or sonographer applies a water-based gel to your skin to prevent air pockets interfering with the sound waves. You may find the gel to be cold. Scans normally take between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the type of scan you are having.
They press a small hand-held device (transducer or wand) against your skin and move it slowly over the area they examining to get the best images.
An ultrasound can also be on a probe that is inserted into your body.
The transducer sends sound waves into your body, collects the ones that bounce back and sends them to a computer, which creates the images of the inside of your body. These can be seen on a monitor.
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