What is ultrasound?
Ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging procedure that allows you to see organs and soft structures inside the body. Currently it can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional or 4-dimensional images. Ultrasound is a non-invasive technique that does not use radiation and is therefore used to visualize fetuses that are forming.
What does it consist of?
It is performed by means of high frequency sound waves emitted through a transducer that captures the echo of different amplitudes and that is produced by bouncing off the organs. These signals, once processed by a computer, give a series of images of the tissues examined.
Why is it performed?
With this procedure it is possible to clearly differentiate the shape and size of each structure inside the body. In medicine, it is used to view the heart, kidneys, liver and blood vessels, among other organs. In addition, it will also be performed on patients who are possibly pregnant. Another function is the study of different body tissues such as blood flow in arteries and veins to detect arteriosclerosis and clots, analyze the thyroid gland and other soft structures of the neck; tendons, ligaments, muscles and joint structures; mammary glands and for pelvic study.
Preparation for ultrasound
There are usually no prerequisites for an ultrasound scan. In cases where the area to be examined is the belly or pelvis area, the specialist will instruct you to drink three glasses of water, approximately one hour before the test.
How do you feel during the examination?
During the course of the ultrasound, the patient will be lying on a table or stretcher with the area to be analyzed in the open air. The specialist will apply a transparent gel on the area of the body to be visualized, which will allow the roller incorporated in the transducer to move. Thanks to the waves that will be reflected on the screen, the expert will interpret the image and determine which images are the correct ones for each case.
The only slight discomfort that may be felt is the gentle pressure applied by the specialist when passing the transducer over the area of the body.
Meaning of abnormal results
The cases in which the results are reflected as abnormal can have as causes congenital anomalies or an alteration of the soft part due to trauma or the formation of soft matter produced by the body itself such as a cyst.