Abdominal Ultrasound

Abdominal ultrasound is a painless procedure using sound waves to generate images of the abdominal internal organs and tissues. There is no ionizing radiation or intravenous dye.

The organs identified and evaluated include, liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, pancreas, spleen, kidneys and abdominal aorta.

Indications for abdominal ultrasound include the evaluation of:

• Abdominal pain
• Gallbladder for gallstones
• Liver for enlargement, liver masses, or assessment of abnormal liver function tests
• Biliary tree for obstruction or retained stones
• Renal/Kidneys for masses, obstruction, blockage or renal stones
• Pancreas for pancreatic masses or inflammation
• Spleen for splenic enlargement or other abnormality
• The right lower quadrant for appendicitis
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening
• Abdominal distention; suspected masses, ascites (free fluid in the abdomen)

How is it performed?
Abdominal ultrasound takes between 30-45 minutes. It involves laying down on a table and having warm gel placed on the abdomen while an ultrasound transducer is moved across the abdomen to generate images of the internal abdominal organs.