Ultrasounds
About Ultrasounds
Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to look at organs and structures inside the body. It is used to view the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver, and other organs. During pregnancy, doctors use ultrasound to view the fetus. Ultrasound does not expose you to radiation.
At Abercrombie Radiology we use Ultrasounds to examine:
- Abdomen
- Pelvis
- Transvaginal
- Hysterosonogram
- 1st Trimester OB
- Small Parts
- Breast
- Scrotum
- Thyroid
- Doppler
- Carotid
- Deep Abdomen
- Venous Upper & Lower Extremities
- Breast biopsies
Preparing for Your Ultrasound
Abdominal Ultrasound
Do not eat or drink anything (including water) after midnight the night before the examination.
Pelvis Ultrasound
Drink 40 ounces (1-1/4 quarts) of liquid 1 hour prior to the appointment time. A full bladder is necessary for the exam.
What to Expect During Your Ultrasound
What does the equipment look like?
How does the procedure work?
Ultrasound is used to detect changes in appearance, size or contour of organs, tissues, and vessels or to detect abnormal masses, such as tumors.
In an ultrasound examination, a transducer both sends the sound waves into the body and receives the echoing waves. When the transducer is pressed against the skin, it directs small pulses of inaudible, high-frequency sound waves into the body. As the sound waves bounce off internal organs, fluids and tissues, the sensitive receiver in the transducer record tiny changes in the sound’s pitch and direction. These signature waves are instantly measured and displayed by a computer, which in turn creates a real-time picture on the monitor. One or more frames of the moving pictures are typically captured as still images. Short video loops of the images may also be saved.
Doppler ultrasound, a special application of ultrasound, measures the direction and speed of blood cells as they move through vessels. The movement of blood cells causes a change in pitch of the reflected sound waves (called the Doppler effect). A computer collects and processes the sounds and creates graphs or color pictures that represent the flow of blood through the blood vessels.
Understand Your Ultrasound Results
Who interprets the results and how do I get them?
An Abercrombie radiologist will analyze the images and send a signed report to your primary care or referring physician, who will discuss the results with you.
Follow-up examinations may be necessary. Your doctor will explain the exact reason why another exam is requested. Sometimes a follow-up exam is done because a potential abnormality needs further evaluation with additional views or a special imaging technique. A follow-up examination may also be necessary so that any change in a known abnormality can be monitored over time. Follow-up examinations are sometimes the best way to see if treatment is working or if a finding is stable or changed over time.
