Your Radiologist Explains Abdominal Ultrasound (Sonography)
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Hello, I’m Dr. Jay Pahade, a diagnostic radiologist and abdominal imaging specialist at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. I’d like to talk with you about abdominal ultrasound.
Abdominal ultrasound uses sound waves to produce pictures of the structures and organs in the upper abdomen. It is often used to evaluate the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen and abdominal aorta including detection of stones in the gallbladder and kidneys and assessing for abdominal aortic aneurysm, also called Tripe A. Abdominal ultrasound may also be used to provide imaging guidance for biopsies.
An ultrasound is performed with the use of a small transducer or probe and ultrasound gel that is placed on different parts of your body to get pictures of the organ being examined.
If your doctor has scheduled you for an ultrasound exam, there are several things you can do to prepare.
First, it's best to leave jewelry at home and wear loose, comfortable clothing. You may be asked to wear a gown.
Your doctor or the radiology department will give you instructions about eating and drinking beforehand, depending on the type of exam. Unless a biopsy is being performed, most ultrasound exams do not involve needles or injections. While it may be temporarily uncomfortable, an ultrasound exam is almost never painful.
The ultrasound technologist, who will perform the exam, may ask you to take deep breaths or hold your breath during parts of the exam to best capture a picture of the organ being examined. You will also have to lie down in different positions to allow imaging of the different organs. Ultrasound is extremely safe, does not use radiation, and has no known harmful effects.
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