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Pelvic and abdominal ultrasound

Published by Bupa's health information team, March 2010.

This factsheet is for people who are having an ultrasound scan, or who would like information about it.

An ultrasound is a safe and painless procedure that uses sound waves to produce an image of the inside of the body (or part of the body).

To meet your individual needs, your care may differ from what is described here. It's important that you discuss your ultrasound with your radiologist or sonographer.

About ultrasound
Preparing for an ultrasound
What happens during an ultrasound
Getting the results
What are the risks?
Questions and answers
Related topics
Further information
Sources

About ultrasound

Abdominal ultrasound can help doctors to diagnose problems with your liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen and kidneys. Pelvic ultrasound can help doctors to diagnose problems in your lower abdominal and pelvic organs, such as gynaecological or bladder problems. Ultrasound is also used to check fetal development during pregnancy.

In women pelvic ultrasound can help find the cause of pelvic pain, heavy or painful periods or other abnormal vaginal bleeding. The scans can help diagnose cysts in the ovaries and fibroids in the womb, as well as ovarian and womb cancer. It can also be used to look for causes of infertility and may be used for monitoring during some types of fertility treatment.

Sometimes, ultrasound is used to help guide procedures such as needle biopsies. This is when your doctor uses a needle to take a small sample of tissue. The tissue is sent to a laboratory for testing. Your doctor uses ultrasound to see inside your body during the procedure to check the needle is reaching the right tissue. Your doctor may use ultrasound to check for blood clots or narrowing of blood vessels. This is done using a Doppler ultrasound. Doppler ultrasound monitors flow in blood vessels. The procedure is the same as having a standard ultrasound but the pictures are coloured.

Ultrasound scans are usually done by a sonographer, who is a radiographer with special training in ultrasound scans, or a radiologist, who is a doctor trained in imaging techniques.

Illustration showing the location of the ear canal
A person having a pelvic and ultrasound scan.

Preparing for an ultrasound

Ultrasound scans are usually done as out-patient procedures in hospital. Please read your appointment letter for instructions on how to prepare for your scan. The instructions will vary depending on your examination.

For some scans you need to fast for eight to 12 hours beforehand, whereas for others, such as kidney or bladder scans, and sometimes pelvic scans, you need to drink water an hour beforehand. A full bladder helps to lift the large bowel out of the pelvis so that your radiologist or sonograpaher can see your pelvic organs more easily.

What happens during an ultrasound

The scan usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. You may be asked to wear a gown or take off some of your clothes.

The ultrasound scanner looks a bit like a home computer system. There is a hard-drive, keyboard and a display screen. In addition, there is a sensor that your sonographer holds. The sensor sends out sound waves and picks up the returning echoes. Pictures of the inside of your body are displayed on the screen. These pictures are constantly updated, so the scan can show movement.

Depending on your medical condition you may have a scan of your abdominal or pelvic organs, or both.

Abdominal scan

You will usually need to lie on your back on a couch. The person scanning you will apply gel to the skin on your abdomen over the area to be examined. The gel allows the sensor to slide easily over your skin and helps to produce clearer pictures. The sensor is held firmly against your skin and moved over the surface.

Pelvic scan

This is performed with a full bladder to help lift the large bowel out of the pelvis so that your radiologist or sonograpaher can see your pelvic organs more easily. The procedure is performed in the same way as an abdominal or transvaginal scan.

Transvaginal scan

This method is used to examine the reproductive organs (womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries) in women. You will usually need to lie on your back on a couch, possibly with your feet up in stirrups. A lubricated probe (the size of a tampon) is inserted two or three inches into your vagina. Most women tolerate this procedure very well. If the scan is performed by a male Radiologist a chaperone will be present.

Transrectal scan

This method is used to examine the prostate gland in men. You will be asked to lie on your left-hand side and a lubricated sensor is passed into your rectum. This examination is usually combined with a biopsy.

For transvaginal and transrectal scans the sensor is usually covered with a condom. Please tell your examiner if you suffer from a latex allergy, so that a suitable condom can be used.

You can go home when the scan is finished.

Getting the results

The details of your scan may be explained to you straight after the examination. Alternatively your sonographer may send your results in a report to the doctor who requested your scan. This can take several days to reach your doctor.

What are the risks?

Ultrasound examination is safe. It does not use radiation and so carries none of the risks associated with this.

Standard diagnostic ultrasound has no side-effects. You may feel slight discomfort as the sensor is pressed against the area being examined, especially if this area is tender.