Ultrasound

There’s no question that ultrasound plays an important role in healthcare. After X-ray exams, ultrasounds are the most utilized form of diagnostic imaging available today. Ultrasound is used for everything from taking a first peek at a developing baby in the womb to determining the risk of vascular disease. It enables a better diagnosis so your physician can plan the best course for your treatment.

By emitting high-frequency sound waves into the body, physicians can translate the echoes that bounce off body tissues and organs into visual images that provide valuable medical information. Vascular disease, stroke and abnormalities in the abdomen or reproductive system all exhibit telltale signs that ultrasound can help to detect.

Ultrasound can also be used to look for gallstones, liver damage and kidney dysfunction. Ultrasound is commonly used to help guide certain procedures including breast and liver biopsies.

At Adventist Health Sonora’s Imaging Center, ultrasound specialties include:

• Abdominal
• Breast
• Cardiac
• Echocardiography
• Gynecological
• Intraoperative
• Musculoskeletal
• Obstetrical
• Pediatric
• Testicular
• Thyroid
• Transesophageal
• Transcranial
• Vascular

How to prepare for an ultrasound

You may be asked to have a full bladder prior to the examination. After an aide escorts you from the general waiting area, you may be asked to remove your clothes and put on a robe or gown. You may be asked to remove your jewelry as well. There are secure lockers for your use in the dressing room.

What to expect

The length of an ultrasound can vary. A general ultrasound for a new pregnancy, for example, may last up to 30 minutes. Ultrasounds for more complicated pregnancies or multiple fetuses may last longer.

During the exam, the physician or ultrasound technologist will apply gel to the skin in the area being examined. A transducer, which is a small handheld device about the size of a bar of soap, will be placed firmly against the skin and swept back and forth to obtain images. The images are immediately visible on a nearby screen and will be interpreted by a radiologist.

The radiologist may also review the images at the time of the examination and ask for additional views. You may be required to lie in one position until the technologist or radiologist is satisfied with the images.

Following your exam, your physician will contact you to discuss the results. If there are areas of concern that may require additional images, you will be notified either by phone or letter.

To schedule your diagnostic exam, call us at(209) 536-3437.
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.