It used to be that if a doctor needed to look at your insides, they would have had to operate on you. Ultrasound technology changed all that, allowing providers to view images of your insides using sound waves. Jennifer Wu, MD, and Adam Romoff, MD, lead an experienced team at Women's Health of Manhattan on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. They use state-of-the-art ultrasound technology to provide expert medical support to their patients. If you need to schedule an ultrasound, call the office today or request an appointment online.
Ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging tool that uses high-frequency sound waves (rather than radiation like in X-rays) to create images (sonograms) of the insides of your body. This method makes them perfectly safe, which is why they're most commonly used during pregnancy.
Ultrasounds are frequently used to diagnose and monitor women's health concerns. Your provider at Women's Health of Manhattan may use this technology for the following:
Ultrasounds are a harmless and effective way for your provider to examine your insides without the need for invasive surgery.
Ultrasounds usually take less than an hour, and most last no longer than 30 minutes. If you're having an external ultrasound, your sonographer starts by applying a gel to the skin outside the area being examined to prevent sound wave interference. They then use a hand-held device called a transducer that emits sound waves into the body and records the sound waves that come back, converting them into images on a monitor.
In some cases, you may need an internal transvaginal ultrasound instead. If so, your sonographer inserts a specially shaped transducer into your vagina to see your cervix and ovaries better.
Ultrasounds aren't painful, although you may feel some slight pressure as the sonographer moves the transducer around to get the best picture.
Ultrasounds are mostly straightforward and require little preparation. You should wear loose, comfortable clothing that you don't mind getting a little messy if the ultrasound gel should get onto them. The gel will wash out.
If you're having a pelvic ultrasound, like when pregnant, you will need a full bladder to create clear pictures. Other ultrasounds require an empty stomach. Your provider will give you specific instructions for your particular procedure.
Women's Health of Manhattan uses the latest advances in medical technology to diagnose and monitor your health. If you need an ultrasound or would like to find out more, call the office or request an appointment through this website.