Doctors most commonly use ultrasound for pregnancy. An ultrasound during pregnancy can help assess the baby’s development and detect potential problems. However, doctors can also use the imaging test for many other purposes.
Doctors may use ultrasound to evaluate blood flow in the arteries and veins, also called a Doppler ultrasound. They use it to assess the health of the vessels and look for any blockages.
A Doppler ultrasound reveals how blood moves through the arteries and veins. They use the test to:
1. Evaluate circulation in the arms or legs
2. Detect a blocked artery
3. Look for signs of a blood clot
Your doctor may use ultrasound as a guide for procedures such as biopsies. They can also use it for fluid drainage from the lungs and the placement of needles for IV treatment.
Ultrasound gives doctors real-time images of the area they are assessing or treating. That helps ensure that they perform medical procedures accurately and safely.
Ultrasound can help diagnose several conditions. Your doctor can use it to assess the health of your organs, look for tumors, or investigate any abnormal growths.
The imaging test can reveal conditions like:
1. Cancer – tumors in the liver, pancreas, or ovaries
2. Gallstones – small, hard pieces of cholesterol that can block the bile duct
3. Kidney stones – hard deposits that can block the urinary tract
4. Aortic aneurysms – a weak spot in the aorta that can rupture
Doctors may use ultrasound to examine organs such as the liver, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, and ovaries. It can help assess these organs’ health and look for abnormalities.
The test can help spot issues with your organs, like:
1. Hepatitis – inflammation of the liver that a virus can cause
2. Pancreatitis – inflammation of the pancreas
3. Kidney disease – a condition that can lead to kidney failure
Ultrasound can help guide surgeons during minimally invasive procedures. Doctors perform this type of surgery using small incisions, and ultrasound provides real-time images to help surgeons navigate the body.
Doctors often use ultrasound for surgeries like:
1. Cholecystectomy – to remove the gallbladder
2. Splenectomy – to remove the spleen
3. Appendectomy – to remove the appendix
4. Breast biopsy – to remove a small sample of tissue from the breast
5. Kidney transplant – to transplant a healthy kidney from a donor into a patient with renal failure
Your doctor may use ultrasound to look for signs of infection in your body. The test can help assess the severity of the condition and look for any abscesses or fluid-filled areas.
Ultrasounds often detect infection in the liver, spleen, kidneys, bladder, and ovaries. The imaging scan can show these abscesses and fluids by:
1. Measuring the size of the area
2. Detecting how much fluid is present
3. Evaluating the surrounding tissue for inflammation or damage
Ultrasound can aid doctors in evaluating pain. It can help determine the cause of the pain and look for underlying problems. For example, your doctor can use ultrasound to:
1. Evaluate a joint for signs of arthritis
2. Look for tears in a tendon
3. Detect a hernia, the protrusion of an organ or tissue through the surrounding muscle or connective tissue
Your doctor can use it to assess organ health, look for tumors, investigate abnormal growths, or guide minimally invasive surgeries. Ultrasound can also help look for signs of infection, evaluate pain, or assess an injury’s severity.
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