Ultrasound Scan
A safe and painless procedure to see inside your body.
An ultrasound scan, sometimes called a sonogram, is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of part of the inside of the body. An ultrasound scan can be used to monitor an unborn baby, diagnose Obs & Gyn Problems, abdominal & chest problems, or guide a health privider during certain procedures.
How ultrasound scans work
- A small device called an ultrasound probe is used, which gives off high-frequency sound waves.
- You can’t hear these sound waves, but when they bounce off different parts of the body, they create “echoes” that are picked up by the probe and turned into a moving image.
- This image is displayed on a monitor while the scan is carried out.
Preparing for an ultrasound scan
Before having some types of ultrasound scan, you may be asked to follow certain instructions to help improve the quality of the images produced.
For example, you may be advised to:
- Drink water and not go to the toilet until after the scan – this may be needed before a scan of pelvic area.
- Avoid eating or drinking for several hours before the scan – this may be needed before a scan of your digestive system, including the liver and gallbladder.
Depending on the area of your body being examined, the Health provider may ask you to remove some clothing and wear clean (disposable) gown.
In some cases, you may also be given an injection of a harmless substance called a contrast agent before the scan, as this can make the images clearer.
What happens during an Ultrasound Scan?
Most ultrasound scans last between 15 and 45 minutes. They usually take place in a hospital radiology department and are performed either by a doctor, radiographer, or a sonographer.
They can also be carried out in community locations such as GP practices, and may be performed by other healthcare professionals, such as midwives or physiotherapists who have been specially trained in ultrasound.
There are different kinds of ultrasound scans, depending on which part of the body is being scanned and why.
The 3 main types are:
- External ultrasound scan – the probe is moved over the skin.
- Internal ultrasound scan – the probe is inserted into the body.
- Endoscopic ultrasound scan – the probe is attached to a long, thin, flexible tube and passed further into the body.