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What are general ultrasounds?

General ultrasounds are imaging tools that create pictures of your internal organs using sound waves.

Ultrasound technicians use a tool called a transducer to send high-frequency sound waves into your body. These sound waves hit your organs, creating an echo that bounces back to the transducer. The transducer sends the sounds to a computer that translates them into real-time moving images.

General ultrasounds are one of the safest imaging tools.

I’m not pregnant. Why would I need general ultrasounds?

Though a standard imaging test during pregnancy, general ultrasounds are done for many reasons. Your health care provider will order general ultrasounds to determine the cause of a symptom like abdominal pain or to evaluate the health of your organs.

General ultrasounds can help diagnose conditions that affect many parts of the body, including:

• Gallbladder
• Liver
• Pancreas
• Spleen
• Thyroid
• Kidneys
• Urinary tract
• Reproductive organs

You could also need a general ultrasound if you have a needle biopsy — removing a tissue sample for lab evaluation. The provider uses ultrasound imaging to ensure accurate placement of the needle for the biopsy.

How do I prepare for general ultrasounds?

The Advanced Women’s Imaging LLC team explains what you need to do to prepare for your general ultrasound when you schedule your appointment. You don’t usually need to prepare for a general ultrasound. You can eat your regular diet and take your usual medications.

But if you’re having an abdominal ultrasound, the team requests that you not eat or drink for eight hours before your scheduled test.

The team recommends you come to your appointment dressed in comfortable clothing that allows easy access to the body part undergoing the imaging and that you leave all valuables at home.

What happens during general ultrasounds?

Your Advanced Women’s Imaging LLC technician explains the details of your general ultrasound before they start the test. First, they apply a water-based gel to your skin, which eases the movement of the transducer over your skin and helps make the images clearer.

Then, they place the transducer on your skin and move it around to get the desired images. General ultrasounds take less than an hour, and you can resume your routine after.

A fellowship-trained radiologist specializing in your condition reviews your ultrasound images, writes a report, and sends it to your provider.

Call Advanced Women’s Imaging LLC today or use the online booking button to schedule your general ultrasound.