What You Should Know About Your Ultrasound Examination
What Does This Ultrasound Examination Look At?
In an abdominal examination, ultrasound produces images of the major organs, including the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, urinary bladder (if full), aorta, and the inferior vena cava.
Why Should I Have an Ultrasound Exam?
There are many reasons for examining the abdomen with ultrasound. Among the more common reasons are:
- To look for causes of upper abdominal pain, including gallstones, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, kidney stones, or hydronephrosis.
- To look for causes of lower abdominal pain, including appendicitis and hernias.
- To look for abnormalities that may be present in the abdominal organs, such as masses or enlargement or atrophy of an organ.
- To evaluate the nature of a mass that may have been felt by the examining doctor or seen on other radiologic exams.
- To evaluate the appearance of the kidneys, seen with kidney disease, obstruction of the kidneys, or blockage of the kidney blood vessels.
- To evaluate the liver for the cause of jaundice or abnormal liver enzymes.
- To look for enlargements (aneurysms) of the abdominal aorta and plaque.
An abdominal doppler exam looks for problems of flow in the blood vessels of the various abdominal organs.
Are There Any Special Preparations for the Exam?
Your doctor will probably tell you to refrain from eating, drinking, or chewing gum for eight hours prior to the exam. This is because these actions increase the amount of abdominal gas, which may decrease visibility of the upper abdominal organs, and cause the gallbladder to contract, preventing an adequate ultrasound examination.
Will It Hurt?
There is no pain involved in an ultrasound examination of your abdomen. The transducer is placed on the skin surface after a gel is applied to your abdomen to provide better contact. The gel may feel cool and may temporarily make your clothing stick to your skin, similar to having lotion on your skin. Therefore, you may want to wear easily washable clothing. The room is usually darkened during the examination.
How Long Will It Take?
The length of time for the examination varies with the complexity of the exam and the specific reasons for which it was requested. After the exam, you can safely drive home and eat and drink normally.
Who Will Perform the Exam?
A sonographer or a vascular technologist trained in ultrasound will perform the diagnostic test. He or she obtains and records a series of images. The doctor then reviews the images, may discuss your exam with the sonographer or vascular technologist, and will then issue an official interpretation. This interpretation may not be available immediately after you have your exam. In some cases, the doctor will also examine you to confirm or resolve uncertain or unclear findings.
Is Ultrasound Safe?
Yes, there are no known harmful effects associated with the medical use of sonography.