Most ultrasound scans require no preparation.
There are a few exceptions:
- Gallbladder ultrasound – you may not be able to eat or drink for up to six hours before the exam.
- Pelvic ultrasound – you might need to drink up to six glasses of water two hours before the exam and not urinate until the exam is completed.
Your doctor or sonographer applies a water-based gel to your skin to prevent air pockets interfering with the sound waves. You may find the gel to be cold. Scans normally take between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the type of scan you are having.
They press a small hand-held device (transducer or wand) against your skin and move it slowly over the area they examining to get the best images.
An ultrasound can also be on a probe that is inserted into your body.
The transducer sends sound waves into your body, collects the ones that bounce back and sends them to a computer, which creates the images of the inside of your body. These can be seen on a monitor.
Your doctor will look at the images and explain the results to you.
You will be able to return to normal activities immediately after an ultrasound.
