Pelvic

PELVIC ULTRASOUND

A pelvic ultrasound examines the uterus, ovaries and their surrounding areas. Ultrasound may also be used to assess blood flow to the ovaries. The person who performs the ultrasound exam is called a sonographer. Pelvic ultrasound can help determine the causes of pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding before or after menopause or other menstrual problems. It is used to identify and assess various pathologies such as; cysts on the ovaries, fibroids in the uterus, ovarian or uterine cancers, and more.

There are two methods of performing pelvic ultrasound; transabdominal (the ultrasound transducer is placed below the belly button) and transvaginal (the ultrasound tranducer is placed inside the vagina).  The transabdominal ultrasound requires a full bladder. You will be asked to drink fluid prior to the examination to fill the bladder, which is used as a “window” to examine the uterus and ovaries behind it.

You will be asked to pull down or remove any clothing that may interfere with the scan.  If asked to remove clothing, you will be given a gown to wear and/or draped with a sheet. The patient lies on their back on an examination bed. A water-soluble gel is applied to the skin to help the ultrasound transducer (wand) move smoothly over the skin and produce better images (at CURE Diagnostics we warm the gel before applying).  The sonographer will gently press the transducer on your pelvic area and move it back and forth to image the area of interest. Once the procedure has been completed, the gel will be wiped off.

The acquired images (sonograms) are interpreted by a registered diagnostic medical sonographer then sent to a board-certified radiologist for creation of a diagnostic ultrasound report detailing your results and diagnosis.