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Ultrasound Department
What are Ultrasounds?
An ultrasound exam (or "sonogram") is a painless diagnostic technique that makes use of how sound waves travel through the body. When sound waves pass through the body, they bounce off tissues and organs in certain ways. The reflected waves can be used to make images of the organs inside. The sound waves don't hurt the body, and there's no radiation. Ultrasound imaging may be done in the health provider's office, in the hospital, or in an outpatient facility.
Aorta Ultrasound - AAA Screening
Why it's done: Your doctor may recommend that you have an aorta ultrasound if you're at risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. A one-time abdominal aortic ultrasound screening is recommended for men between the ages of 65 and 75 who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetimes.
Risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm include:
Males age 65 or older, history of atherosclerosis, family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm, history of smoking,
high blood pressure, previous aneurysm in one of your other arteries and obesity.
How to prepare for your exam:
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Nothing to eat or drink 6-8 hours prior to your exam.
(this includes gum and hard candies)
-
Diabetic Patients- Medication should be taken as perscribed by your physician.
-
Patients with High Blood Pressure: Medication should be taken as perscribed by your physician.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time. Usually, if no aneurysm or other problems are found, your doctor won't recommend any additional screenings. If an aneurysm or another problem is found, your doctor will discuss the need for any further tests and your treatment options with you.
Artieral Duplex Ultrasound - Upper Extremities and Lower Extremities
What is it: An Arterial Doppler shows blocked or reduced blood flow through the major arteries of your arms and legs. Your doctor may order this test if you have:Numbness and tingling sensations in your hands, arms, feet and legs. A feeling of fatigue and heaviness in your arms and legs. The Arterial Doppler ultrasound uses sound waves to produce images of the blood flow from your heart to the upper extremities (arms) and lower extremities (legs).
How to prepare for your exam:
-
No preparation is necessary.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Bladder Ultrasound
What is it: A bladder ultrasound is a safe and painless test that uses sound waves to make images of the bladder before and after urination.
How to prepare for your exam:
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Nothing to eat 6-8 hours prior to test.
(this includes gum and hard candies)
-
Must drink and finish 34 ounces of water 1 hour before exam.
-
Bladder must be full for exam do not empty bladder before exam.
-
Diabetic Patients - diabetic medication should be taken as prescribed by your physician.
-
Patients with High Blood Pressure - blood pressure medication should be taken as perscribed by your physician.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Carotid Duplex Ultrasound
What is it:Carotid duplex is an ultrasound test that shows how well blood is flowing through the carotid arteries. The carotid arteries are located in the neck. They supply blood directly to the brain.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
No preparation is necessary
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Complete Abdomen Ultrasound / Single Organ Ultrasound
What is it: Abdominal ultrasound is a type of imaging test. It is used to look at organs in the abdomen, including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, and kidneys.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
Nothing to eat or drink 6-8 hours prior to your exam.
(this includes gum and hard candies)
-
Diabetic Patients - Medication should be taken as perscribed by your physician.
-
Patients with High Blood Pressure - Medication should be taken as perscribed by your physician.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Echocardiogram
What is it: An echocardiogram (echo) uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. This commonly used test allows your doctor to see your heart beating and pumping blood. Your doctor can use the images from an echocardiogram to identify heart disease.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
No preparation is necessary.
What you can expect: A typical echo exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Gallbladder Ultrasound
What is it: A gallbladder ultrasound examination is a limited version of an abdominal ultrasound examination. It provides pictures of the upper abdominal organs such as the gallbladder, pancreas and the common bile duct. The exam will be performed by a sonographer, a technologist who is specially trained in ultrasound.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
Nothing to eat or drink 6-8 hours prior to your exam. (this includes gum and hard candies)
-
Diabetic Patients - Medication should be taken as perscribed by your physician.
-
Patients with High Blood Pressure - Medication should be taken as perscribed by your physician.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Muscoskeletal (MSK) Ultrasound
What is it: Musculoskeletal. Ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to produce pictures of muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints throughout the body. It is used to help diagnose sprains, strains, tears and other soft tissue conditions.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
No patient preparation is required.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.
After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Pelvis Ultrasound
What is it: A pelvis ultrasound is a noninvasive diagnostic exam that produces images that are used to assess organs and structures within the female pelvis. It allows quick visualization of the female pelvic organs and structures including the uterus, cervix, vagina, fallopian tubes and ovaries. This scan is performed over the abdomen using the full bladder as a window. It provides a broad perspective of the pelvic organs. The trans-abdominal ultrasound provides a wider view picture of the pelvic organs.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
Must drink and finish 34 ounces of water 1 hour before exam.
-
Bladder must be full for exam do not empty bladder before exam.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Renal / Kidney Artery Ultrasound
What is it: The renal arteries provide blood flow to the kidneys. Renal artery disease, including narrowing (stenosis) due to atherosclerosis, can result in reduced blood-flow to the kidney. This can cause hypertension (high blood pressure). Renal artery stenosis is the most common correctable cause of hypertension. Long-standing, untreated renal artery disease is also an important cause of kidney failure. Renal artery disease cannot be diagnosed without specific tests. Renal artery duplex scanning is accurate, non-invasive and cost-effective. Unlike angiography or CT scanning, no injection of X-ray contrast material is required, avoiding the risk of kidney damage from the contrast. Blood-flow velocities and flow patterns in the aorta and renal arteries are evaluated with Doppler ultrasound. Imaging of the kidneys can provide information about secondary damage to the kidneys from chronic poor blood-flow. Flow patterns (resistance indices) in the small vessels within the kidneys can provide additional information about kidney damage and the potential for recovery of kidney function with therapy.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
Nothing to eat or drink 6-8 hours prior to your exam.
(this includes gum and hard candies)
-
Diabetic Patients - Medication should be taken as perscribed by your physician.
-
Patients with High Blood Pressure - Medication should be taken as perscribed by your physician.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Soft Tissue Ultrasound
What is it: Soft tissue ultrasound helps in the evaluation of soft tissue masses. The sonographic appearances of cysts or lipomas may be sufficient to obviate the need for further imaging. For other complex cystic or solid masses, ultrasound is an inexpensive, widely available imaging modality that can evaluate lesion vascularity and is also used for follow-up examinations.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
No patient preparation is required.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Testicular Ultrasound
What is it: Ultrasound imaging of the scrotum uses sound waves to produce pictures of a man’s testicles and surrounding tissues. It is the primary method used to help evaluate disorders of the testicles, epididymis (a tube immediately next to a testicle that collects sperm) and scrotum. Ultrasound is safe, noninvasive, and does not use ionizing radiation.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
No patient preparation is required.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Thyroid Ultrasound
What is it: Thyroid ultrasound uses sound waves to produce pictures of the thyroid gland within the neck. It does not use ionizing radiation and is commonly used to evaluate lumps or nodules found during a routine physical or other imaging exam.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
No patient preparation is required.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Transrectal Ultrasound
What is it: Transrectal Ultrasounds are when a transducer is inserted into an opening of the body may produce minimal discomfort. The transrectal ultrasound of the prostate is similar to or may have less discomfort than a rectal exam performed by your doctor.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
Must drink and finish 34ounces of water 1 hour before exam.
-
Bladder must be full for exam do not empty bladder before exam.
What you can expect: There are no after effects of a Transrectal Ultrasound. You will be able to resume normal activities. A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.
After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Transvaginal Ultrasound
What is it: Transvaginal Ultrasound is an examination of the female pelvis and urogenital tract (kidneys and bladder). It helps to see if there is any abnormality in your uterus (or womb), cervix (the neck of the womb), endometrium (lining of the womb), fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder and the pelvic cavity. It differs from an abdominal ultrasound as it looks at the pelvic organs from inside the vagina.The test is requested by your doctor if you have symptoms of pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, to check for fibroids (muscle tumours of the uterus), polyps (areas of thickening of the lining of the uterus), ovarian cysts or tumours or infertility.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
No preparation is necessary. You will be asked to go to the toilet and empty your bladder prior to the test being performed. If you are wearing a tampon, it will need to be removed. If you are having a period this is not a problem and in some instances it is an advantage when assessing a variety of gynaecological problems. It is a good idea to wear comfortable clothing that gives easy access to the lower part of your body.
What you can expect: There are no after effects of a Transvaginal Ultrasound. You will be able to resume normal activities.A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.
Venous Duplex Ultrasound - Upper Extremities and Lower Extremities
What is it: Noninvasive arterial and venous duplex studies are performed to detect the presence, location, and severity of arterial and venous vascular diseases. These are the basic, non-invasive, cost-effective and painless procedures performed using Doppler ultrasound techniques and no surgery, x-rays, and needles are used. These procedures cause minimal risks and discomfort to the patient when compared to invasive techniques. Duplex ultrasound uses sound waves to detect how blood flows through the blood vessels and to reveal any blockages. Duplex ultrasound combines traditional ultrasound with Doppler ultrasound. Regular ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of organs within the body. Doppler ultrasound uses sound waves to evaluate blood as it flows through a blood vessel.
How to prepare for your exam:
-
No preparation is necessary.
What you can expect: A typical ultrasound exam is painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. After your ultrasound is complete, your doctor will discuss the results with you at a later time.