Open MRI
CT Scans
Ultrasound
Nuclear Medicine

What is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound is an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves, generated by a handheld device called a transducer. The transducer is placed on the skin where it uses the echoes created by the sound waves to create images of the internal organs. Ultrasound does not involve radiation, which is one of the reasons that it is routinely used to examine fetuses in utero. There are many other applications for ultrasound, such as evaluating abdominal and pelvic organs, assessing blood vessels for clots or atherosclerotic plaque, examining the superficial structures of the neck and extremities, and providing guidance for biopsies or for draining fluid collections.

Our equipment is also capable of performing 4-D ultrasound, which has applications in fetal imaging.

Exam Prep

• Abdominal sonogram - Nothing to eat or drink for 6 hours prior to the exam.
• Abdominal & Pelvic sonogram - Nothing to eat after midnight the night before your examination. Start drinking 32 ounces of water one and one-half hours before your exam. Finish the water one hour before your examination. Do not empty your bladder until the study is completed.
• Renal sonogram - Start drinking 20 ounces of water one and one-half hours before your appointment. Finish the water one hour before your examination. Do not empty your bladder until the study is completed.
• Pelvic sonogram (transabdominal) - Start drinking 32 ounces of water one and one-half hours before your exam. Finish the water one hour before your examination. Do not empty your bladder until the study is completed.

No preparation is needed for the following studies: Peripheral vascular studies, including arterial & venous dopplers Vascular studies, including carotid studies Thyroid sonogram Testicular sonogram Transvaginal sonogram