What exactly is an

ultrasound scan?
Mr. M. Usman
Consultant Practitioner
The Scan Clinic
Copyright M. Usman, 2016. The Scan Clinic. All

What is an ultrasound scan?

Lets break it down!

An ultrasound scan is a painless test

that provides images of the inside of the
body using high frequency sound waves.

These sound waves are at a frequency which

cannot be heard by the human ear but when
they bounce off different parts of the body,
create echoes that are picked up by the
probe and turned into a moving image.

High frequencies provide better images but

they are unable to penetrate as deeply as
lower frequencies. On the other hand low
frequencies are able to penetrate deeper into
the body but the image is not high in quality

What can an ultrasound show?

Ultrasound images provide information about the
structures within the body. Increasingly ultrasound
has become a common test to assist healthcare
professionals to either determine a diagnosis, screen
for specific problems or as a guide during
interventional procedures such as a biopsy.

Why are ultrasound scans done?

There are many kinds of ultrasound scan that can be performed. Each scan
either looks at a different aspect of your body, such as a pelvis scan which
looks at the pelvic organs, or is performed during a specific period in time such
as an early pregnancy scan looking at the development of a fetus to assess
viability.

Scans can be used to asses many organs such as the liver, kidneys, pelvis,
skin, soft tissues, muscles and joints however due to the physics of sound it
can not look at very dense structures such as bone.
Sometimes health professionals need to look more closely inside the body at
the organs therefore an internal scan may be appropriate. This type of scan is
commonly used to examine the prostate gland, ovaries or womb and is carried
out by a special endoscopic type of ultrasound probe which is passed into the
body.
Common problems detected during a scan include gallstones, kidney stones,
polycystic ovaries, fibroids, muscle tears and prostate enlargement to name a
few.

Ultrasound also has many uses during

pregnancy, such as monitoring the growth
of a baby or babies, determining due dates,
ruling out ectopic pregnancy and screening
for specific structural abnormalities such as
cleft lip. Unfortunately due to it's limitations
however it can not detect all fetal
abnormalities and sometimes although
specific abnormalities may have the
potential to be detected, are not picked up
due to limitations such as BMI, gestational
age or size and position of the baby.

Recently non-diagnostic ultrasound has

also been increasingly used during
pregnancy for purposes such as
maternal bonding, gender & 4D
scanning (used to view a baby in threedimensional space).

Ultrasound scans therefore have

numerous applications in healthcare and
ultimately are beneficial to us if used in
the right context by a competent body
or person. However as with any test,
ultrasound scans have limitations some
of which are generic to all scans such as
not being able to visualise bone clearly
or scan specific and therefore may not
be suitable in certain situations.

Common clinical
applications:

Abdominal ultrasound: To visualise the

anatomy and pathology of the liver ,
gallbladder, bile ducts, spleen,
kidneys, pancreas.
Pelvic ultrasound: To assess the
prostate, urinary bladder, reproductive
organs, adnexal masses, vascular
structures, lymph nodes.
Obstetric ultrasound: To assess the
fetus and related structures in
pregnant women.

Small parts ultrasound: Thyroid,

scrotum, breast, soft tissue and many
more small structures.
Cardiovascular ultrasound including
echocardiography: To assess the heart
and peripheral vascular structures.
Transfontanelle ultrasound: To
visualise the intracranial structures
before the closure of the fontanelles in
paediatric patients or through
boreholes.
Intraluminal Ultrasound: To assess
gastrointestinal tract and the blood

Are there any side effects or

risk in having an ultrasound
scan?
Ultrasound is considered very safe
worldwide with minimal known adverse
effects and no radiation exposure (World
Health Organization)

Is there any special

preperations I need to do for
a
Youscan?
may need to prepare for a scan and
if you do, this will be explained to you
prior to your appointment. For example,
if your pelvis, kidney or bladder are to
be scanned, you may be required to
ensure that your bladder is full before
the examination can begin. Any
preparation advised is important and
should be adhered to as it aims to
maximise the potential visualisation of

Who will I see?

You will be cared for by a small team
and seen by a healthcare professional
who specialises in clinical medical
ultrasound. As ultrasound is "real time"
imaging the quality of the scan and
ultimately the information you take
away depends upon the expertise & skill
of the person scanning you. This is an
important point for consideration hence
why at The Scan Clinic you will always
see an expert who has vast expertise

What happens during a

scan?

During the scan you may be asked

questions about your health and in
particular your current symptoms and
may also be examined.
Generally you will be invited to sit or lie
down on a couch and requested to
expose the area where the scan will be
performed. The lights in the room may
be dimmed so that the images on the
monitor are clearer. A water based gel
will be applied to your skin over the area

The gel allows the sensor to slide easily

over the skin and helps produce clearer
images. Sometimes you will be on your
back or you may be asked to turn on
your side, lie flat on your stomach or
stand up during the examination.
The positions will vary depending upon
the scan. You may be asked to take
deep breaths and to hold your breath for
a few moments. The clinician will move
the probe over your skin while viewing
the images on the screen. Upon
completion, the gel can be wiped off and

How long does a scan take?

The process of carrying out a scan
usually takes around 15-20 minutes
however this can vary depending on the
type of scan or procedure being
performed.

How much does a scan cost?

The price of a scan will vary and is
dependent on many factors. In the UK
scan costs can vary considerably and is
some clinics cost well over 600.
The Scan Clinic however believes in
affordable healthcare and our services
will not break the bank!

Browse our site further to explorethe

scans & serviceswe have to offer or if
you would like more information
pleasecontact and we will be happy to
assist.

http://thescanclinic.co.uk/