Why sonography is done

If your pregnancy ultrasound results were not normal, it may mean :. Your provider may suggest more tests to help confirm a diagnosis. If you had diagnostic ultrasound, the meaning of your results will depend on which part of the body was being looked at. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice.

Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. What is an ultrasound? There are two main categories of ultrasounds: pregnancy ultrasound and diagnostic ultrasound. Pregnancy ultrasound is used to look at an unborn baby. Diagnostic ultrasound is used to view and provide information about other internal parts of the body.

These include the heart, blood vessels, liver, bladder, kidneys, and female reproductive organs. What is it used for? It may be used to: Confirm that you are pregnant. Check the size and position of the unborn baby. Check to see you are pregnant with more than one baby. Estimate how long you have been pregnant. This is known as gestational age. Check for signs of Down syndrome , which include thickening in the back of the baby's neck. Check for birth defects in the brain, spinal cord , heart , or other parts of the body.

Check the amount of amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is a clear liquid that surrounds an unborn baby during pregnancy. It protects the baby from outside injury and cold. It also helps promote lung development and bone growth. Diagnostic ultrasound may be used to: Find out if blood is flowing at a normal rate and level. See if there is a problem with the structure of your heart. Look for blockages in the gallbladder. Check the thyroid gland for cancer or non-cancerous growths.

Check for abnormalities in the abdomen and kidneys. Help guide a biopsy procedure. A biopsy is a procedure that removes a small sample of tissue for testing.

In women, diagnostic ultrasound may be used to: Look at a breast lump to see if it might be cancer. The test may also be used to check for breast cancer in men, though this type of cancer is far more common in women.

Help find the cause of pelvic pain. Help find the cause of abnormal menstrual bleeding. Help diagnose infertility or monitor infertility treatments. In men, diagnostic ultrasound may be used to help diagnose disorders of the prostate gland.

The steps you will take to prepare for an ultrasound will depend on the area or organ that is being examined. Your doctor may tell you to fast for eight to 12 hours before your ultrasound, especially if your abdomen is being examined.

Undigested food can block the sound waves, making it difficult for the technician to get a clear picture. For an examination of the gallbladder, liver, pancreas, or spleen, you may be told to eat a fat-free meal the evening before your test and then to fast until the procedure. However, you can continue to drink water and take any medications as instructed. For other examinations, you may be asked to drink a lot of water and to hold your urine so that your bladder is full and better visualized.

Be sure to tell your doctor about any prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or herbal supplements that you take before the exam.

An ultrasound carries minimal risks. Unlike X-rays or CT scans, ultrasounds use no radiation. For this reason, they are the preferred method for examining a developing fetus during pregnancy. Before the exam, you will change into a hospital gown. You will most likely be lying down on a table with a section of your body exposed for the test.

An ultrasound technician, called a sonographer, will apply a special lubricating jelly to your skin. This prevents friction so they can rub the ultrasound transducer on your skin. The transducer has a similar appearance to a microphone.

The jelly also helps transmit the sound waves. The transducer sends high-frequency sound waves through your body. The waves echo as they hit a dense object, such as an organ or bone. Those echoes are then reflected back into a computer. The sound waves are at too high of a pitch for the human ear to hear. They form a picture that can be interpreted by the doctor. Depending on the area being examined, you may need to change positions so the technician can have better access. After the procedure, the gel will be cleaned off of your skin.

The whole procedure typically lasts less than 30 minutes, depending on the area being examined. Once the technician acquires all of the pictures, he or she will check with the radiologist healthcare provider trained to read images to make sure no other views are required. Most of the time, the technician is not able to give you any results. Once the radiologist interprets the images from the sonogram, the report will be made available to your healthcare provider.

Sonography is done at most imaging centers, hospitals, and some obstetrics offices. The sonography machine looks a bit like a computer with a microphone attached, almost like a Karaoke machine.

Usually, the sonography machine is rolled right up to the bedside. What to Wear. You should wear something easy to remove.

In most cases, you will only have to expose the skin that the technician is going to need access to. An abdominal ultrasound, for example, can be done wearing pants and a shirt. You will just have to pull the shirt up to expose the abdomen. In the case of a transvaginal sonogram, you will have to undress below the waste, including removing the underwear.

Food and Drink. As noted above, the reason for the sonography will determine whether you needs to fast, drink fluids, or neither. Cost and Health Insurance. Sonography is a relatively inexpensive imaging test. It is covered by most insurances and might require pre-authorization depending on the reason the healthcare provider ordered the sonogram.

A 3D or 4D sonogram is an elective test that some parents will get during pregnancy. The 3D image shows a 3-dimensional rendering of the baby, while 4D refers to an animated video rendering of the baby in utero captured over time.

These are known as entertainment tests and are not covered by most health insurances. Here's what you can expect before, during, and after a sonogram. Plan to arrive slightly earlier than your appointment so that you can check in and fill out any necessary paperwork.

If you were asked to follow specific food and drink instructions, you will be asked to confirm that you did. Throughout the Test. A sonogram is conducted by a single technician right at the bedside. The entire sonogram will likely take less than 30 minutes.

The technician will ask you to undress enough to expose the area where the test will be performed and to lie down on the bed. The technician will coat the transducer with conductive gel, which feels like lubricant jelly. If possible, depending on the tools and supplies available, the gel will be warm.

Then the technician will slide the transducer over the skin, sometimes with firm pressure. Occasionally the pressure could cause some mild discomfort. Using the transducer to point to areas of interest, the technician will use the computer to capture images and might use a mouse to drag lines across the screen.

The lines help measure size, like a virtual yardstick. When the sonogram is over, the technician will usually provide a towel to wipe off the conductive gel.

Once the technician confirms that all the necessary images have been captured, you will be free to get dressed. There are no special instructions or side effects to manage. It only takes the radiologist a few minutes to interpret most sonography results. The results will describe what is on the images and what those findings might suggest.

This can mean various things depending on the area of the body tested. Typically, the results will be provided back to the healthcare provider to share with you. If you don't hear back, be sure to follow up.

If needed, you can also request a copy of the radiologist's report and even a disc containing the original images. A Word From Verywell.