How to Prepare for an Exam

Because there are so many different types of ultrasounds, the instructions for what you need to do before one may vary. You should discuss any preparation steps you might need to take with your doctor beforehand, like:

• Whether you should have a full or empty bladder
• Whether you should abstain for any food or drink beforehand
• Whether you should avoid any deodorants, powders, creams, lotions, or perfumes
• Whether there are any medications that you are currently taking that might be an issue

Imaging rooms can sometimes be cold, so we advise all of our patients to wear warm, comfortable clothes for their procedure.

When you step into the imaging room, the sonographer will have you lie on the exam table. They then use a water-based gel on the skin to conduct the sound waves through a transducer, moving the transducer back and forth over the area of interest to capture the desired images. Exams take approximately 30 minutes, depending on your procedure, and results will be sent to your referring doctor to discuss with you at a later date.