What to expect during an ultrasound?
Miscellaneous
This non-invasive modality is often the first imaging option to look for abnormalities inside your body
Most people associate ultrasound screenings with pregnancy. However, ultrasounds can be used in a number of ways that can help if you are experiencing pain, swelling or other symptoms that require a view from the inside of your body.
An ultrasound scan, also known as sonography, uses high-frequency sound waves to produce high-resolution images, explains Ashley DeWitt, diagnostic medical sonographer with St. Joseph’s/Candler Imaging Center – Pooler. It is a non-invasive, painless procedure that does not use radiation, she adds.
Sonographers and physicians can use these images to see organs, soft tissues, veins and arteries inside the body to look for anything abnormal. An ultrasound can show plaque in the arteries or blood clots in veins, for example. Your doctor may order an ultrasound to look at your thyroid nodules, gallbladder or kidneys.
“We also do breast ultrasounds,” DeWitt adds. “Gallstones show up really well on ultrasound. Ultrasound is often the first step in imaging, especially with kids.”
What the patient can expect
St. Joseph’s/Candler offers outpatient ultrasound imaging at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Candler Hospital and our Imaging Centers in Pooler and Bluffton. The scan itself can take anywhere from 15 minutes to about an hour, depending on the anatomy being looked at, DeWitt says.
Most ultrasounds do not require any preparation by the patient. However, if you are having areas of your abdomen examined, we ask that you fast for six to eight hours to reduce gas, DeWitt says. If we are looking at the gallbladder, for example, we also ask that you fast so your gallbladder is fully distended at the time of your exam. If we are looking at your bladder or kidneys, we need a full bladder before getting scanned. Your physician should tell you if any prep is required before your ultrasound.
During the exam, patients lay flat on an open bed while the sonographer performs the exam. A gel is placed at the site of examination to help guide the transducer to produce images on a computer. It’s a water-based gel so there are not usually any allergy concerns, DeWitt says, and it’s cleaned off upon competition. There are typically no driving limitations following an ultrasound.
Our goal is for a radiologist to read your images within 24 business and send results to your referring physician who is responsible for explaining the findings.
“They can help determine if you need another exam or what type of treatment is needed or sometimes ultrasound rules conditions out,” DeWitt says. “They may decide to proceed with another test that requires radiation, but ultrasound is typically the first, least non-invasive choice for imaging.”
For more information about all of St. Joseph’s/Candler imaging services, visit our website.
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