Pelvic Ultrasound

What is pelvic ultrasound imaging?

Ultrasound is used to view the organs by sending sound waves into the body.
The sound waves are captured and displayed on a screen. For women, pelvic
ultrasound is used to check the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and nearby
structures. In men, the pelvic ultrasound is used to study the bladder and the
prostate gland.

What does the equipment look like?

Ultrasound scanners consist of a console containing a computer and
electronics, a video display screen and a transducer that is used to do the scanning.
The transducer is a small hand-held device that resembles a microphone, attached
to the scanner by a cord. The transducer sends out inaudible high frequency sound
waves into the body and then listens for the returning echoes from the tissues in the
body. The principles are similar to sonar used by boats and submarines.
The ultrasound image is immediately visible on a video display screen that
looks like a computer or television monitor. The image is created based on the
amplitude (loudness), frequency (pitch) and time it takes for the ultrasound signal to
return from the area of the patient being examined to the transducer (the device
used to examine the patient), as well as the type of body structure and composition
of body tissue through which the sound travels. A small amount of gel is put on the
skin to allow the sound waves to travel back and forth from the transducer.

What are the benefits vs. risks?

1. Benefits
 Most ultrasound scanning is noninvasive (no needles or injections).
 Occasionally, an ultrasound exam may be temporarily uncomfortable, but it is
almost never painful.
 Ultrasound is widely available, easy-to-use and less expensive than other
imaging methods.
  Ultrasound imaging is extremely safe and does not use any ionizing radiation.
 Ultrasound scanning gives a clear picture of soft tissues that do not show up
well on x-ray images.
 Ultrasound is the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis and monitoring
of pregnant women
 and their unborn babies.
 Ultrasound provides real-time imaging, making it a good tool for guiding
minimally invasive
 procedures such as needle biopsies and fluid aspiration.
 Pelvic ultrasound can help to identify and evaluate a variety of urinary and
reproductive system
 disorders in both sexes without even the minimal risks associated with x-ray
exposure.

2. Risks

 For standard diagnostic ultrasound, there are no known harmful effects on

humans.

How does the exam work?

Ultrasound sends sound waves into the body using a transducer, a hand-held
device that sends and receives sound waves. After gel is applied to the skin, the
sonographer (ultrasound technologist) presses the device against the skin to take
pictures, which then appear on a screen. As the sound waves echo from the body’s
fluids and tissues, an image is formed.

How should I prepare for a pelvic ultrasound?

 Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for your exam.

 In most cases, you will be asked to drink a quart of water before your
exam to fill your bladder. A full bladder helps to locate the uterus, ovaries,
and bladder during the exam.
How is the exam done?
1. You will lie on an exam table, with your clothing moved away from the lower
abdominal area.

2. Warm gel is applied to the abdomen to make contact between your skin and the
transducer.

3. The sonographer then presses the transducer against the skin and sweeps it over
the abdomen to obtain pictures.

4. The radiologist may take more pictures after the sonographer is done.

Who interprets the results and how do I get them?

The radiologist who specializes in ultrasound will review the pictures and send
the report to your doctor. You will receive your exam results from the doctor who
ordered the test. The radiologist may discuss early findings with you at the end of
your exam.