How is an abdominal ultrasound performed?
The ultrasound procedure is performed by a sonographer, who is a trained technician skilled in the art of obtaining ultrasound images. The equipment consists of a transducer and a monitoring system. The transducer is a small, hand-held device that resembles a microphone. The patient lies on their back on an examination table, and a clear gel is applied to the abdomen to help the transducer make secure contact with the skin. The sound waves produced by the transducer cannot penetrate air, so the gel helps to eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin. The sonographer then presses the transducer firmly against the skin and sweeps it back and forth to obtain images of the area of interest. When the examination is complete, the patient will be asked to wait while the technologist reviews the ultrasound images with the radiologist.
