Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to produce an image of the inside of your body. It is used to provide information on a variety of conditions – from pregnancy to gall stones, varicose veins and even muscle tears.
An ultrasound is preformed by a sonographer, a trained health professional. The Sonographer uses a transducer (small hand-held camera) to display the images.
Ultrasound is painless and does not involve any radiation which makes it very safe to use for diagnostic purposes.
Preparation
You will be advised of the appropriate preparation when you make your appointment. Different scans require different preparations.
If you are diabetic or are taking any medications please check with our staff about any special preparations needed.
Procedure
The sonographer preforming the examination will explain the procedure to you. The procedure is usually carried out lying down.
To enable good contact between the ultrasound transducer and the patient to allow sound waves to travel through, a layer of gel is spread over the area to be examined. A transducer is placed on the skin with gentle pressure to obtain the images required. After the examination, the gel is simply wiped from your skin. The gel is water soluble and does not mark clothing.
Examination Time
Examination times vary for each ultrasound. Please ask our staff when booking in for the length of your examination.