How long abdominal ultrasound results

If you're having a scan of your womb or pelvic area, you may have a full bladder that causes you a little discomfort. There will be a toilet nearby to empty your bladder once the scan is complete. An internal examination allows a doctor to look more closely inside the body at organs such as the prostate gland, ovaries or womb.

A "transvaginal" ultrasound means "through the vagina". During the procedure, you'll be asked to either lie on your back, or on your side with your knees drawn up towards your chest. A small ultrasound probe with a sterile cover, not much wider than a finger, is then gently passed into the vagina or rectum and images are transmitted to a monitor. Internal examinations may cause some discomfort, but don't usually cause any pain and shouldn't take very long.

During an endoscopic ultrasound scan, an endoscope is inserted into your body, usually through your mouth, to examine areas such as your stomach or food pipe oesophagus. You'll usually be asked to lie on your side as the endoscope is carefully pushed down towards your stomach. The endoscope has a light and an ultrasound device on the end. Once it's been inserted into the body, sound waves are used to create images in the same way as an external ultrasound.

You'll usually be given a sedative to keep you calm and local anaesthetic spray to numb your throat, as an endoscopic ultrasound scan can be uncomfortable and may make you feel sick. You may also be given a mouth guard to keep your mouth open and protect your teeth, in case you bite the endoscope.

Potentially, you may not need to prepare at all. Fasting before an abdominal ultrasound may be necessary, as having an empty or full stomach or bladder may lead to blurry ultrasound images. Consult your instructions or radiologist to find out if fasting is required prior to your procedure.

Abdominal ultrasounds are risk-free and do not use radiation, unlike CT scans and X-Rays. This is why doctors prefer abdominal ultrasounds to check on developing fetuses. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. You may also be asked to change into a gown. The most common use of an abdominal ultrasound is to check the morphology which is the form and structure of main internal solid organs in your abdominal area.

The organs usually assessed are the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, and various surrounding blood vessels. Ultrasounds produce images of these organs to ensure that no abnormalities exist.

Your doctor may also recommend an abdominal ultrasound if you are experiencing any abdominal pain or distention in an attempt to diagnose the cause of your pain. For instance, blood tests may show that your liver is not functioning properly, so an abdominal ultrasound will be performed to assess the size, shape and appearance of that particular organ. If your physician performs a physical examination and discovers that one of your abdominal organs is enlarged, an exploratory ultrasound will be ordered.

Enlarged organs indicate an abnormality. Abdominal ultrasounds can also be used to detect the presence of gallstones, kidney stones, or blocked bile ducts. Additionally, if you have or there is a possibility of having an aneurysm of the aorta, ultrasounds are used to find, measure, and monitor the aneurysm.

These aneurysms may appear as a large, pulsing bump in the abdomen but many times this dilatation of the aorta can go unnoticed and is only seen when having an abdominal ultrasound usually for some other reason. Abdominal ultrasounds are also useful tools in the field of oncology. If you have a particular type of cancer, an abdominal ultrasound can be used to check for metastasis.

Tumors, cysts, and fluid collections can be all elements found during abdominal ultrasounds. Want to have all the information you possibly can before arriving at your ultrasound appointment? Of course you do! Your doctor should be willing and able to explain the entire procedure to you and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Depending on the organ that your physician intends to examine, you may have to prepare for the procedure in a specific way.

The majority of the time, fasting is necessary for six to eight hours before any abdominal ultrasound procedure. Air or gas can significantly block the sound waves so fasting reduces obstructions in the form of bowel gas that could interfere with the imaging of the abdominal organs. Sometimes, your doctor will ask you to eat a fat-free meal the night before your test before you begin your fast. Besides that, we recommend that you feel as comfortable as you like the day of the exam.

It never hurts to wear loose-fitting clothing. Again, your GP should make any specific requests as to the preparation for your ultrasound pretty clear before the appointment. So…What Exactly is Going to Happen? Doppler ultrasound, a special ultrasound technique, 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. For most ultrasound exams, you will lie face-up on an exam table that can be tilted or moved.

Patients may turn to either side to improve the quality of the images. The radiologist a doctor specifically trained to supervise and interpret radiology exams or sonographer will position you on the exam table. They will apply a water-based gel to the area of the body under examination. The gel will help the transducer make secure contact with the body. It also eliminates air pockets between the transducer and the skin that can block the sound waves from passing into your body.

The sonographer places the transducer on the body and moves it back and forth over the area of interest until it captures the desired images. There is usually no discomfort from pressure as they press the transducer against the area being examined. However, if the area is tender, you may feel pressure or minor pain from the transducer. Once the imaging is complete, the technologist will wipe off the clear ultrasound gel from your skin.

Any portions that remain will dry quickly. The ultrasound gel does not usually stain or discolor clothing. If the doctor performs a Doppler ultrasound exam, you may hear pulse-like sounds that change in pitch as they monitor and measure the blood flow. When the exam is complete, the technologist may ask you to dress and wait while they review the ultrasound images.

A radiologist, a doctor trained to supervise and interpret radiology exams, will analyze the images. The radiologist will send a signed report to the doctor who requested the exam. Your doctor will then share the results with you. In some cases, the radiologist may discuss results with you after the exam.

You may need a follow-up exam. If so, your doctor will explain why. Sometimes a follow-up exam further evaluates a potential issue with more views or a special imaging technique.

It may also see if there has been any change in an issue over time. Follow-up exams are often the best way to see if treatment is working or if a problem needs attention. Ultrasound waves are disrupted by air or gas. Therefore, ultrasound is not an ideal imaging technique for the air-filled bowel or organs obscured by the bowel. Ultrasound is not as useful for imaging air-filled lungs, but it may be used to detect fluid around or within the lungs.

Similarly, ultrasound cannot penetrate bone, but may be used for imaging bone fractures or for infection surrounding a bone.