3-D/4-D ultrasound

Ultrasound has been used on humans since 1950. In this time, there has been no evidence of ultrasound ever having harmful effects. Ultrasound uses sound waves to display images on our screens, therefore, it does not use any form of radiation.

Ultrasound is generally a painless exam. Some exams require a full bladder so there may be a little bit of discomfort. During ultrasounds, we may have you lie down in different positions that can be uncomfortable. Depending on the exam, we may have to push down with the ultrasound probe, causing you to feel some pressure.

Ultrasound is used to visualize mostly soft tissues and organs. Ultrasound does not visualize bowel or bones well so another exam may be used like x-ray or CT. Your doctor, technologist and radiologist will help ensure you get the best imaging for what your provider is trying to pinpoint. Ultrasound is used to look at babies in utero, gallbladders, hearts and so much more.

Before you can have an ultrasound done, you have to see your provider, whether that is an ER provider or your primary provider. From there they will decide which exam is needed and order that for you. Once the exam is ordered you can schedule a time to come in. When your exam is scheduled, the technologist or scheduler will let you know if there is any sort of preparations for the exam, i.e., no food or drink 12 hours before the exam, or having a full bladder.

If you have any questions about any medications that need to be withheld for any exam, ask your provider. Any allowed medications that are able to be taken can be taken with some water, even if you are required to fast for an exam.

For most ultrasound exams you are able to bring one extra person with you as long as they are over the age of 12. Please remember that there are some exams where an additional person is not allowed into the ultrasound room, but your support person is welcomed to come with you and stay in the waiting room during the exam.

We generally allow one additional person over the age of 12 to accompany you to your OB ultrasounds. There is limited space in the room, and we want to ensure that you have the best possible exam. Although your entire family is excited and your children may want to see their little brother or sister, they generally are only excited for a few minutes and then become distracted, thus distracting you and potentially the technologist.

As your baby grows and develops, being able to tell gender becomes more apparent. We ask that you wait until you are at least 20 weeks for your anatomy scan. This is an ideal time frame for the technologist to visualize most of the anatomy, including the gender of your baby. Please remember the purpose of this exam is to be sure your baby is healthy. This means the technologist takes a look at the heart, brain, limbs, etc. to ensure your baby is developing properly. As an added bonus, the technologist is generally able to see your baby's gender; however, depending on the position of your baby, they may not be able to see at the time of your appointment. Sometimes your baby may be sitting cross-legged or in another position inhibiting visualization. The technologist will try different ways to try to get your baby to move so they are able to see, but just remember it may not always be possible. Please plan gender reveals and other parties with the possibility in mind that they may not be able to tell you the day of your exam.

Most ultrasound exams are scheduled for 45-60 minutes. Not all exams take this long, but plan on being there for the full 45-60 minutes. During the exam we will ask questions about your medical history such as medications, surgeries to that specific area or previous radiology exams that you have had done.

At the start of the exam the technologist will tell you if you need to rearrange your clothes so that they can access your skin. The technologist will then apply gel to your skin to be able to see your organs. The gel is water-based so it will not stain your clothes and comes out in the wash. Depending on the exam the technologist may have you roll onto your side or hold your breath or they may squeeze your leg to get the images they need. The technologist may also need to press down with the ultrasound probe to see better, and you may feel a little discomfort from the pressure.

The technologist will be in the ultrasound room with you for most of the time. During your ultrasound you will lie flat on your back or on your side, and the technologist will let you know when you need to move and which way to face. Depending on the exam the technologist will also give you instructions on when to take breaths in, when to release your held breath and when you can go to the bathroom if you have a full bladder.

You will normally get your results within 2-3 business days. The technologist performing your exam is not able to release any results or information about your exam. Once the exam is completed, the technologist enters in the details of your history for the radiologist to review while looking at your images. There are many images for the doctor to review and once the finalized report is done, it then gets sent to the provider who ordered your exam. They then take time to review the exam and report and decide on any treatment or next steps that need to be taken before giving you the results of your exam.