Ultrasound procedures transmit high frequency sound waves (that cannot be seen or heard) through the body. The sound waves bounce back and create an image on the computer monitor. Ultrasound imaging is a painless, non-invasive exam that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. It’s a highly interactive procedure that is used to assess the health of organs, soft tissue, blood vessels and many other anatomical structures. Ultrasound examinations are cost effective and patient-friendly.
Ultrasound is frequently associated with pregnancies but now diagnostic medical sonography is used to scan everything from the nervous system to the digestive system, blood vessels, tumors, the eyes and more. Health care professionals often prefer ultrasound to other diagnostic scanning techniques (such as radiographic technology, or x-rays) due to the safety of this non-invasive technology and its ability to produce exceptionally detailed images.
A Doppler ultrasound study may be part of an ultrasound examination. Doppler ultrasound is a technique used to evaluate the velocity of the blood flow as it travels through a vessel.
