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| Ultrasound |
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Ultrasound – What is it?
Ultrasound is a sophisticated computerised system which uses harmless high
frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the body.
It is a safe technique used in all areas of the body Your doctor will tell you
when you need an Ultrasound scan to help with the diagnosis of your condition.
Your Ultrasound
You will lie down on a bed during the ultrasound examination. A small probe
placed on the skin over the problem area produces the scan images. A
sonographer specially trained in the use of ultrasound equipment, will carry
out your examination. A radiologist, who is a doctor trained in the use of
ultrasound as well as x-rays for medical diagnosis, will supervise your
examination.
Preparing for your Ultrasound
For pregnancy examinations within the first three months, and for pelvic and
kidney scans, it is important that you have a full bladder. If your bladder is
empty or only partially full the organs in the pelvis cannot be seen clearly.
The best way to achieve a full bladder is to drink 1 litre of fluid ( 1 litre
is five large glasses ) one hour and 15 minutes before your appointment.
For examinations of the gall bladder and other types of abdominal examinations,
it is important that you do not eat anything for 6 hours beforehand.
If you are having both abdominal and pelvic examination do not eat for six
hours and drink 1 litre of fluid one hour and 15 minutes before the
examination.
Your Examination
You may be asked to change into a gown if you are having an abdominal or pelvic
examination. For pregnancy and other examinations come to your appointment
wearing casual, comfortable clothing as you do not usually need to change.
After you lie down on the ultrasound bed, the radiologist or sonographer will
spread a water-based jelly on your skin over the area to be examined. The
ultrasound probe is then placed on the jelly, which is a sound conductor, to
obtain the pictures.
You will be completely unaware of the sound waves produced by the probe. There
is no discomfort during the examination, apart from the sensation of a full
bladder if you are having a pelvic examination.
The examination usually takes between 15-30 minutes. You should feel free to
ask any questions during the examination. However it is not always possible
provide immediate answers. It may be necessary to review your pictures and, at
times, discuss them with other radiologists to best interpret the results.
For pregnancy examinations, you are most welcome to bring your partner or other
close members of your family.
Your results.
After the examination, you will be able to return to your usual activities.
If your problem is urgent, your doctor may ask you to return to the surgery
after the examination is finished. First you will need to wait 15-30 minutes
while we process the scanning pictures and the radiologist makes a diagnosis.
You will then be able to take both the pictures and a report from the
radiologist back to your own doctor.
If your problem is not urgent, your doctor will receive the pictures and
radiologists report usually by the following day. The radiologist may also
telephone your doctor to discuss the findings.
Appointments
To make an appointment for your ultrasound scan please phone the most
convenient of our locations listed.
If you still have questions about ultrasound scanning, ask your doctor or
contact us direct. Our staff will be pleased to help you.
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| Nuchal Translucency Assessment |
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What is the Nuchal Translucency?
All developing babies have a layer of fluid on the back of their bodies between
the skin and the underlying soft tissue. This layer is translucent on
ultrasound and its thickness is measured at the level of the neck. This
measurement is called the Nuchal Translucency.
Nuchal Translucency assessment is a test offered to pregnant women to screen
for chromosomal problems and heart defects. The test suggests which pregnancies
are at higher risk of abnormality and may need further investigation. A normal
result does not guarantee a normal baby but does imply that an abnormality is
unlikely. An abnormal result does not mean that the baby is abnormal but
suggests the baby should be further investigated. This test is a measurement
performed during an ultrasound examination between 11and 14 weeks of pregnancy.
It is painless and carries no risk to the pregnancy.
At this ultrasound we can:-
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Confirm that you are pregnant and determine the age of the pregnancy.
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Diagnose multiple pregnancies.
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Examine the baby for some major defects.
The examination is performed by placing an ultrasound probe on the abdomen as
for a normal ultrasound scan. In some cases it may be necessary to perform the
scan internally using a trans-vaginal probe.
An accredited Sonographer or radiologist, qualified in Nuchal Translucency
scanning, will perform the scan usually taking about 15 minutes.
After combining the Nuchal Translucency measurement with your age and other
factors, utilising a special computer program ,we can calculate your risk of
having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality for this pregnancy.
A low risk is expressed as 1in more than 300. A high risk expressed as 1 in
less than 300.
If you should be shown to be high risk, then you should discuss this result
with your referring doctor or LMC. This does not mean that the baby is
abnormal, but indicates further tests may be necessary. Most high risk
pregnancies will be normal. Your doctor will be able to give you advice about
further testing, such as Chorionic Villus sampling (CVS), or Amniocentesis. |
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