About ultrasound

Ultrasound scanning, or sonography, is one of the most widely used and safest diagnostic tools available to view the inside of the human body. Ultrasound provides a noninvasive, safe and painless means of observing soft tissue anatomy. High-frequency sound waves are bounced off of  internal body structures, producing “echoes”  which are viewed as images. Ultrasound is particularly useful for looking at the organs within the abdomen; including the liver, gallbladder, kidney, spleen, pancreas, male and female pelvic organs, neck and soft tissues. Ultrasound is also widely used to evaluate the growing fetus.

Before your exam

 Preparation for your ultrasound study will depend upon the type of exam you are having:

General ultrasound procedures

• Ultrasound-Abdomen, Liver, Gallbladder and Pancreas:

Do NOT eat or drink anything after midnight the night prior  to your exam; after 6 hours prior to  your study for an afternoon exam.

• Ultrasound-Kidneys:

Drink 2 glasses of  water; 1 hour prior to your exam. Do not  empty your bladder.

• Ultrasound-OB and Pelvic:

Arrive with a full bladder. Finish drinking 1 quart of water 1 hour prior to your exam. Do not empty your bladder. If your bladder is not full, the exam may need to be delayed.

• TRANSVAGINAL Ultrasound: 

Ideally TRANSABDOMINAL Ultrasound is done with Full U.Bladder  prior to TVS. & after  performing transabdominal Ultrasound,  TRANSVAGINAL Ultrasound is done  after emptying the U.Bladder.

• No preparation is necessary

For  ultrasound of the Eye, thyroid, scrotum,  Limb vessels or musculoskeletal disorders.

• No preparation is necessary

For ultrasound-guided procedures

• Ultrasound-Hysterosonogram:

This exam MUST be scheduled during day 4-8 of a new menstrual cycle.

During your exam

During your exam, you will lie on a padded table and gel will be applied to the region of your body under examination. The doctor  will place a hand-held device called a transducer on your skin. The transducer sends and receives ultrasound signals and is moved over the area of your body being imaged. Selected ultrasound images are captured and reviewed and interpreted by a specialty-trained sonologist. The procedure is generally painless; minor discomfort may result from fullness of the bladder during some types of exams. The  time required to complete an  ultrasound usually ranges from 10 to 60 minutes.

Is there any side effects from an ultrasound scan?

Ultrasound scanning is an excellent diagnostic tool, which has never been shown to have any harmful side effects in medical use. Ultrasound does not use any ionising radiation. The sound energy used is absorbed by the body as heat but there is no noticeable warming effect and we only scan for as long as it takes to complete the examination.

What is a colour & power doppler ultrasound

Colour Doppler Ultrasound uses special technology to allow the Sonologist  to study the blood flow in the  arteries and veins. The most common studies performed are the arteries in the neck (carotid arteries). These supply blood to your brain and face. Other common vessels examined are the renal arteries supplying your kidneys and the veins and arteries in the legs looking for blockages or clots. Often during the Colour Doppler scan you will hear strange noises as the signals from the flowing blood are converted to sound.  In pregnancy the uterine vessels, umbilical cord vessels & few foetal vessels are examined to study the quality & quantity of flow.

What is a 3-D & 4-D Ultrasound

This is a new technology to see & study the foetus or various other parts of body in three dimensions for detailed examination. Photograph like  & X-ray like pictures are obtained. These collected data / pictures can be manipulated after leave the office.

"4D" is short for four-dimensional – the fourth dimension being time. As far as ultrasound is concerned, 4D is the latest ultrasound technology. 4D takes three-dimensional ultrasound images and adds the element of time to the process. This allows you to see your unborn baby in amazing real time detail.

It is important that you bring any previous ULTRASOUND & other reports with you.

Sex of Baby ?

In most of cases it can be determined after 18 weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes it is not possible to determine the baby’s sex. It depends on the way the baby is positioned. If you would like to know the sex, please ask the Sonologist  at the start of the examination.