Stockdale uses state-of-the-art high resolution ultrasound systems our location to obtain images of internal organs and other soft-tissue structures inside the body. Our certified medical sonographers are dedicated to taking the time necessary to provide quality service to all of our patients.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound at Stockdale
Ultrasound
What is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound (sonography) is a safe, painless and cost effective test that uses high frequency sound waves to view organs, tissues or blood flow inside the body. The sound waves that are produced during an ultrasound cannot be heard or felt. Both still and moving real-time images can be captured during an ultrasound.
There are no risks from an ultrasound scan. It is non-invasive and does not expose you to any radiation. Therefore, the scan can be repeated without any known adverse effects.
Ultrasound is useful for evaluating a variety of conditions including pain, swelling and infection. It can be used to examine internal organs such as the uterus, ovaries, kidneys, liver, bladder, heart and thyroid. In obstetrics, ultrasound is routinely used to assess the progression of pregnancy.
Color flow Doppler ultrasound is utilized to visualize blood flow through blood vessels. An echocardiogram is another type of ultrasound exam that evaluates the heart, the heart's valve function, and the blood flow in both.
How does Ultrasound work?
Ultrasound imaging uses the principles of SONAR developed during World War I to track submarines. It began being used for medical purposes in the late 1940s.
A transducer is placed on your skin and pulses of sound waves are sent through your body. As the sound waves pass through the body, they produce echoes which the transducer receives and sends back to the computer. The echoes are analyzed and converted into images, which in turn creates real-time pictures on the monitor. This helps to determine the shape, size and composition of organs and tissues.
Since ultrasound records images in real time, it is especially useful for examining blood flow and guiding needle biopsy procedures.