Ultrasound
Ultrasound (or sonography) is an imaging process that uses reflected sound waves to create real-time images of a patient's tissues, including muscles, blood vessels and organs. Because sonographers use sound waves, there is no radiation exposure during an ultrasound procedure unlike with X-rays and related imaging exams.
Although this imaging procedure is most commonly used to examine the fetus during pregnancy, it is also an effective tool for monitoring blood flow using Doppler ultrasound technology. Ultrasound can be used to discover abnormalities in the body, and detect narrowed arteries, clotted veins, or growths such as tumors and cysts in the body's organs and tissues.
A sonographer performs ultrasounds using a transducer wand to scan over the patient's body and a gel that acts as a conductor between the transducer and the skin. The sound waves translate through the transducer and create images that can be used for monitoring and diagnostic purposes.
AllianceHealth Durant offers patients a variety of ultrasound imaging exams, including:
- Obstetric and breast ultrasound scans
- Paracentesis and thoracentesis