VASCULAR ULTRASOUND:
Diagnostic ultrasound is an established method of diagnostic medical imaging using a high frequency sound wave and the principle of sonar. Because ultrasonic waves cause no damage to human tissues, they are an important tool utilized for both diagnosis and treatment of disease. New generation ultrasound equipment provides images of very high resolution and diagnostic accuracy.

In medicine, ultrasonic waves are directed at a specific area of the body. As the waves travel through body tissues, they are reflected back at any point where there is a variation in tissue density, as in the area between two different organs of the body.

The reflected waves are received by an electronic device that determines both the position of the tissue giving rise to the echoes and the intensity of the echoes. The resulting images can be displayed in static form, or, through the use of rapid multiple scans, they can in effect provide a moving picture of the inside of the body.

It is a reliable, cost effective means of evaluating many internal organs including the liver, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, aorta, gallbladder, ovaries, uterus, prostate, testicles, and thyroid. Vascular ultrasound provides accurate assessment of arteries and veins in the extremities and neck. It is routinely used to evaluate fetal growth and complications of pregnancy.

Ultrasound is particularly accurate for detecting gallstones, liver abnormalities, obstructed kidneys, vascular aneurysms, abnormalities of the uterus and ovaries, and tumors within the thyroid gland or testicles. Ultrasound is less accurate in very large patients.

Ultrasound is very patient friendly -- there are no injections. Only a small instrument (transducer) will be in touch with the body. The only preparation for some exams is not to eat 4 hours prior, and for some pelvic exams, to have a full bladder.