Ultrasound Procedure
About Your Ultrsound Procedure
Ultrasound, also known as sonography or ultrasonography, is a medical diagnostic procedure that uses sound waves to create an image of the internal organs, such as the abdomen or a developing fetus.
What are the Benefits of Ultrasound?
This safe and painless procedure, which involves no radiation, can produce better images of some body structures than an X-ray and can detect some conditions earlier than other methods.
Generally, anyone can have an ultrasound without negative effects.
Preparing for the Procedure
How you will be instructed to prepare for the exam depends on the part of the body to be examined. Preparations may include: drinking a quart of water, eating a fat-free dinner the previous evening, or avoiding smoking or chewing gum just before the exam.
What to Expect
After the ultrasound technologist applies a gel to the skin over the area to be imaged, a handheld instrument, called a transducer, is placed against the body and moved back and forth across the examination area.
The transducer produces sound waves that strike the body organs. The organs send echoes back to the transducer. The echoes are changed into electrical energy by the transducer, and the energy shows up as an image on a TV monitor.
The technologist may ask you to turn from side to side or perhaps to hold your breath. It is important to follow instructions carefully.
The procedure generally takes about 30 minutes to complete. You may be slightly uncomfortable with a full bladder, which is needed to perform the exam, but the technologist will work as quickly as possible without compromising image quality.
After the examination is interpreted by the radiologist, a written report will be sent to your physician.
If you have any questions regarding your procedure, please contact the ultrasound coordinator at 732-923-6813, the chief technologist at 732-923-6800, or the medical physicist at 732-923-6811.
Click here for the informational brochure (pdf), available as a PDF (portable document format) file.