Ultrasound

When is an ultrasound used?

Your doctor may recommend an ultrasound to:

• Examine breast changes, including lumps that could indicate breast cancer (breast ultrasound).
• Help diagnose certain muscle, tendon and ligament conditions.
• Examine internal organs, including your heart (echocardiogram).
• Evaluate blood flow in your veins and arteries (Doppler ultrasound).
• Guide minimally invasive procedures, such as needle biopsies and cortisone injections.
• Investigate causes of pain, swelling or infection.
• Monitor pregnant women and their unborn babies.

Ultrasound tests for infants

When you baby needs an ultrasound, trust ProHealth for safe, gentle tests, including:

• Head ultrasound – Creates pictures of the brain and cerebrospinal fluid.
• Transcranial Doppler ultrasound – Shows blood flow in the brain.
• Hip ultrasound – Checks for developmental dysplasia (dislocation) of the hip.

What to expect

For most ultrasound exams, you’ll lie face-up on an examination table that can be tilted or moved. Your radiologist or sonographer (a technician who performs diagnostic ultrasound tests) applies a warm water-based gel to the area of your body being examined, and then moves a transducer back and forth over the area. You may feel some pressure, but the exam doesn’t hurt.