About the Scan – Pelvic Ultrasound

Pelvic ultrasound imaging is a medical test offered by SMIL that helps radiologists produce pictures of the structures and organs in the lower abdomen and pelvis.

There are three types of pelvic ultrasound:

• abdominal (transabdominal)
• vaginal (transvaginal, endovaginal) for women
• rectal (transrectal) for men for evaluation of the prostate gland

In women, a pelvic ultrasound is most often performed to evaluate the:

• uterus
• cervix
• ovaries
• bladder

For your pelvic ultrasound exam, you will be positioned lying face-up on an examination table that can be tilted or moved.

A clear water-based gel is applied to the area of the body being studied to help the transducer make secure contact with the body and eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin that can block the sound waves from passing into your body. The sonographer (ultrasound technologist) then presses the transducer firmly against the skin in various locations, sweeping over the area of interest or angling the sound beam from a farther location to see an area of concern better.

When the examination is complete, you may be asked to dress and wait while the ultrasound images are reviewed. This abdominal ultrasound examination is usually completed within 30 minutes.

Learn how to prepare for the scan in the pelvic ultrasound section.

Find out if this procedure is right for you in the benefits and risks of pelvic ultrasound section.

For a downloadable/printable PDF about this exam with preparation instructions click here.