Ultrasound diagnostics:
With a lot of time and attention to detail
Introduction
Ultrasound examinations use harmless sound waves to make the inside of the body visible. As radiologists, we use the method frequently and in a variety of ways, for example to examine organs such as the liver, pancreas, kidneys, blood vessels or joints.
The term ultrasound actually comes from physics. It refers to sound waves whose frequency is above the human hearing range and which the human ear can no longer perceive. In medicine, an imaging procedure has been developed from this, which is often colloquially called "ultrasound". Other terms for the examination are sonography or echography.
Ultrasound examinations pose little risk when used correctly.
Sequence
You don't usually need to prepare for an ultrasound scan. If you do, we will inform our patients beforehand. For example, in order to be able to see the bladder clearly, it is helpful if it is a little full. You are therefore asked not to go to the toilet directly before the scan. If the gallbladder is being examined, it is necessary to come to an ultrasound scan of the abdomen on an empty stomach.
Usually, you lie on your back on a couch for the examination. Depending on which region is to be examined, you sometimes have to assume special positions - for example, turning onto your side so that the spleen or kidneys can be examined properly. For an examination of the neck, a small pillow or roll is placed behind the neck to stretch the head slightly.
We then first apply a gel to the transducer or the part of the body that is to be examined. The gel ensures that the ultrasound head has good contact with the skin. We then press the transducer onto the skin and move it back and forth. This is usually painless, but can sometimes be a little painful.
Our patients receive their ultrasound images and findings online via a secure cloud system.
Our Ultrasound Services and Regions
Head and neck: thyroid, carotid artery, lymph nodes, salivary glands
Abdomen: liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, urinary bladder, prostate, uterus, free fluid, appendix (appendix vermiformis), lymph nodes, abdominal wall, aorta (abdominal artery)
Arms, legs: vessels (arteries, veins), muscles, joints (shoulder joint, knee joint), muscles, fatty tissue, lymph nodes
Breast: Complete ultrasound including the armpit region (axilla). Often in connection with breast cancer screening or aftercare or in case of complaints or a positive palpation finding
In addition, we offer the so-called duplex sonography, a method
to measure the blood flow velocity in a vessel using ultrasound.
The Doppler effect is used to determine and visualize the direction and speed of blood flow. The flow towards the transducer usually appears red, while the flow away from the transducer is blue. This is why it is also called color Doppler.
