Preparing for an Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a safe and painless procedure that uses sound waves to see inside your body. Doppler allows our specialists to evaluate the blood flow through the arteries and veins of your abdomen. The scan can help diagnose such medical conditions as abdominal masses, gallbladder disease and gallstones, as well as problems in the liver, kidneys, pancreas or spleen.

Some ultrasounds require specific preparation.

• Prostate or Transrectal Ultrasound
• Transvaginal Ultrasound
  
• Ultrasound‑Guided Biopsies
  • Breast biopsy
  • Liver biopsy
  • Prostate biopsy
  • Thyroid biopsy

Instructions and exam details for abdominal, pelvic, renal and testicular ultrasounds are covered below. 

All Ultrasounds

• If your doctor gave you an order, please bring it with you.
• Please consider bringing your favorite magazine, book or music player to help you pass any time you may have to wait.
• Please leave your jewelry and valuables at home.

Abdominal Ultrasound and Abdominal Ultrasound with Doppler

• You must not eat or drink for eight hours before your exam. Water and taking medication is okay.
• For female patients, if a pelvic ultrasound is also being done, please drink 32 ounces of water one hour before the scan. You can go to the bathroom to relieve yourself, as long as you keep drinking water. Male patients do not need to have a full bladder.

Pelvic Ultrasound

• Drink 32 ounces (four glasses) of water one hour before your examination time.
• You can go to the bathroom to relieve yourself, as long as you keep drinking water. 
• If you are also having an ultrasound abdomen, please do not eat or drink for 8 hours before your exam. Water and medications are okay.

Renal Ultrasound

• No other preparation needed.

Testicular Ultrasound

• No other preparation needed.

• You will be asked to change into a gown.
• A diagnostic medical sonographer will explain your exam and answer any questions you may have.
• The technologist will apply warm gel to the location of the ultrasound. This gel helps the sound waves to get from the machine into your body. It is similar to hair styling gel.
• A transducer, a small device similar to a microphone, will be placed over the location of the ultrasound.
• You will not feel any pain; however you will feel mild pressure from the transducer.
• Sound waves will bounce off certain organs and tissue in your body. This creates echoes. The echoes are reflected back to the transducer, which converts them to electronic signals. A computer then processes the signals into pictures and shows them on a television monitor.
• These moving images may be viewed immediately or photographed for further study.
• Your exam will take between 20‑45 minutes.

• There are no post‑examination instructions.
• You may resume your regular diet, unless told otherwise by your doctor.
• Your study will be reviewed by an imaging physician and the results sent to your doctor. Your doctor will discuss these results with you and explain what they mean in relation to your health.
• If you have problems related to your procedure, please call 310‑423-8000.