Sonogram, Ultrasonography in Midtown and Upper East Side

Sonogram

Mention a sonogram, and people usually associate it with seeing a picture of an unborn fetus in the womb. It’s in a sonogram that you can detect the gender of a baby. But sonograms are helpful in other ways as well and help our doctors make a diagnosis of internal problems you may be experiencing. A sonogram, also called a sonograph, refers to any picture of an internal organ taken with ultrasound technology.

The image, or sonogram, is generated through the process called ultrasonography. The technique relies on high-frequency sounds to create the picture. Thus there’s very little difference between a sonogram vs. ultrasound; your doctor uses both to complete the procedure. The sonogram is the image. Ultrasound is the technology used to create the image. While the terms carry different meanings, they often are used interchangeably to refer to the same procedure.

Varying Types of Procedures

Your OBGYN has access to several different ultrasound techniques to generate sonograms:

• Transvaginal tests rely on a specially designed probe inserted inside your vagina to produce a vaginal sonogram. You may need this procedure for a variety of reasons:
  • You’re in the early stages of pregnancy.
  • You’re experiencing pelvic pain, and the cause isn’t easily recognized.
  • You may have an ectopic pregnancy (where the fetus forms in one of your fallopian tubes).
  • Your gynecologist is looking for fibroids or cysts.
  • You have vaginal bleeding that can’t be explained.
  • You have infertility and want to know why.
  • You’re trying to place an IUD
• Standard ultrasound creates a 2D sonogram. It relies on the gel and wand to create the image. It’s also the most common test used to create a pelvic sonogram to look for abnormalities in your vagina, cervix, fallopian tubes or ovaries such as:
  • Ovarian cysts
  • Uterine fibroids
  • Endometrial polyps
  • Kidney stones
  • Tumors
• Fetal echocardiography The specialist uses this procedure when they suspect your baby may have heart problems. Your doctor may perform it externally — by rubbing a gel on your belly and passing a wand over the gel to create the sonogram. Fetal echocardiography also can be done internally, with the same probe used in a transvaginal exam.
• Doppler ultrasound measures changes in the sound frequencies as they bounce around your body. Your doctor then uses the sonogram to detect fetal abnormalities in the blood flow and the umbilical cord. Your doctor can use doppler sonograms to study the placenta strength as well as other pregnancy complications.

Performed When Necessary

The sonogram gives your physician just one more tool for diagnosing pregnancy complications and other abnormalities in your reproductive system. Insurance usually pays for an ultrasound when medically necessary, but it isn’t always required when you have a routine pregnancy without any complications. Additionally, since the effects of multiple ultrasounds on a fetus aren’t currently known, it’s best to refrain from doing the test too often.

When it comes to discerning more complicated issues in your reproductive organs that don’t have anything to do with pregnancy, however, a sonogram can prove invaluable. Except for the internal vaginal probe, the ultrasound is entirely non-invasive and carries no known risks. As with any internal exam, however, the risk of infection always is present, which is why you need to allow only your experienced OBGYN specialist to perform internal tests that demand equipment sterility. Visit our New York City gynecology in Midtown and on the Upper East Side and meet experts in diagnosing pregnancy complications and other abnormalities in your reproductive system.

No Pain, Lots to Gain

Sonograms are ideal for diagnosing problems that your doctor can treat right away. Sometimes, you may have to return for a follow-up ultrasound to ensure the prescribed treatment is working sufficiently. Additionally, ultrasounds may be necessary if the images showed suspicious signs that your doctor wants to verify.

There is no pain associated with standard and Doppler ultrasounds. The gel actually may tickle your belly if you are sensitive. A vaginal sonogram test shouldn’t hurt either. It will feel no more uncomfortable than a routine gynecological examination.

Prepare for the Tests

There is little you have to do to prepare for a standard ultrasound test. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes to the office on the day of the test; often, all you need to do is raise your top and lower the waistband of your pants.

Sometimes, the specialist may ask you to remove all your jewelry and clothes to don a gown. Ultrasounds are highly sensitive to outside sounds and movement, so you’ll be asked to refrain from moving around or making any sound.

To get a complete sonogram through a standard or vaginal ultrasound test can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more. Tests usually are read by a radiologist who can examine the sonogram and report the findings to your doctor. The radiologist can also give you results right after completing the procedure.

Benefits of the Sonogram Technology

Getting a sonogram is virtually risk-free and painless with no side effects. And the benefits can be significant when diagnosing problems and getting the best views possible of your anatomy.

• You don’t have even the minimal risks associated with X-rays, yet sonograms can discern urinary and reproductive complications.
• Sonograms typically are quite a bit less expensive than more traditional imaging procedures like MRIs and CT scans.
• A pelvic sonogram is effective for both male and female patients to discover urinary tract disorders.
• You get real-time imaging that can be printed or stored as a continuous video.
• The procedures are popular, accepted, and available.
• Ultrasound usually provides a clearer picture of soft tissues than most X-rays.
• No recovery period is necessary following an ultrasound.

Nothing, however, is perfect. Ultrasound tests are difficult to perform on obese people because significant layers of fat may interfere with the imaging tools, making it harder to get a clear picture of organs. Ultrasound also is sensitive to gas and air, so it’s not particularly effective for diagnosing problems with organs that may be surrounded by or filled with air or gases.

Do you have questions about the Sonogram or technology use? To schedule an appointment in Midtown or on the Upper East Side with the team of the best-rated gynecologists, please call us.

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