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Ultrasound

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Ultrasound is a safe, painless technology that uses sound waves to build images of the internal organs, lymph nodes, and blood vessels. The pictures are displayed on a TV-like screen, and can be made into snapshot-size copies for your doctor. The procedure usually takes 10 to 30 minutes. Ultrasound can be given in any ordinary hospital room or examination room. During the exam, the operator passes a wand called a transducer through a sound-conducting gel on the surface of the skin. This wand (sometimes called a probe or a scan head) sends sound waves into the body and receives their echoes as they bounce off the internal organs. (The waves emitted for ultrasound cannot pass through air, bone, barium, or gas in the bowel.) Incoming echoes are then converted to the images seen on the screen. Doctors order ultrasound for a variety of problems. The procedure is especially useful for detecting tumors, gallstones, and heart defects. During pregnancy, it provides a view of the developing baby.

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Ultrasound