SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
There are a few common reproductive health-related reasons why your doctor might suggest a transvaginal ultrasound. A transvaginal ultrasound usually takes anywhere from a few quick moments to around 45 minutes.
Once your ultrasound is done, the ultrasound technician or doctor will remove the probe and leave the room so you can get dressed. All in all, a transvaginal ultrasound is usually a pretty simple procedure.
Korin is a former New Yorker who now lives at the beach. She received a double B. Korin has been published in Read more. Topics vaginal health Pregnancy.
Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy where the fetus is growing inside the fallopian tube can both cause bleeding. It is also possible that you will have tests and investigations but the reason for your bleeding will not be found. Your doctor is likely to begin with an internal examination to feel the size of your uterus and to look for any obvious visible sign of bleeding.
If you have been bleeding, you will likely be offered a vaginal ultrasound because it offers the best possible view of your pregnancy. A vaginal ultrasound is a narrow probe, which is put inside the vagina; it feels much like an internal examination and is quite safe.
Before six weeks, the embryo is so small that it can be very difficult to see its heartbeat. An ultrasound this early is not likely to give any definite answers about the future of the pregnancy. Still photographs are also taken during the examination. There are no after effects of a transvaginal ultrasound. You will be able to resume normal activities. You may notice some slight vaginal discharge from the lubrication gel after the test, but this should stop within 24 hours.
Sometimes you will be asked to wait and have the images checked by the radiologist or obstetrician sonologist specialist doctors. The sonographer, the health professional who carries out the ultrasound examination, might ask the doctor to come into the room and check what has been seen.
Usually the doctor will let you know what they have seen and if there are any concerns. In some facilities, the doctor or specialist will carry out the examination and will usually inform you of the findings. There are no known risks of having transvaginal ultrasound. It uses sound waves to obtain images and there is no radiation involved. If you are pregnant, there are no risks to the foetus unborn baby.
If you are pregnant and your waters have broken, but you are not in labour this is called premature rupture of the membranes , it is not advisable to have an ultrasound due to a small increase in the risk of infection to your unborn baby.
If you are pregnant and known to have an abnormally low-lying placenta called placenta praevia and you are experiencing vaginal bleeding, it is not advised to have transvaginal ultrasound, as it could make the bleeding worse. The insertion of the transducer into the vagina allows a very close and clear view of the pelvic organs, and very clear ultrasound images to be taken of the area.
This will help to guide the discussion between you and your doctor about any further investigation or treatment that might be needed.
The examination is carried out by sonographers, who are health professionals specially trained and accredited to do the test. The sonographer might leave the room to show the pictures to the reporting doctor, who might come in and scan again if something needs to be checked.
A full report of the scan will be written and sent to your referring doctor. At some hospitals or radiology facilities, an obstetrician sonologist or radiologist specialist doctors might do the examination. Other health professionals, usually a nurse, might also be in attendance. The examination is carried out in a radiology department of a hospital, private radiology practice or at a specialist clinic for obstetric and gynaecological imaging.
Sonohysterography , or ultrasound of the uterus, provides a more in-depth evaluation of the uterine cavity. In this minimally invasive procedure, a saline solution is injected into the uterine cavity to help visualize and measure the endometrium and to look for polyps or a mass of tissue.
This exam may also involve an injection of air to help determine if the fallopian tubes are open. Pelvic MRI is used after ultrasound to better visualize fibroids, cancer, or retained products of conception. Hysteroscopy involves inserting into the uterus a narrow lighted tube with an optical instrument or viewing device on the end to allow the physician to look for fibroids , polyps or other abnormalities.
Endometrial biopsy is used to remove and examine a small sample of tissue from the endometrium under a microscope to diagnose cancer or other causes of abnormal bleeding. The procedure, which may be performed as an office procedure alone or in conjunction with hysteroscopy , involves a suction or cutting device that removes a small piece of tissue from the uterus. Treatment for abnormal vaginal bleeding depends on the underlying cause, and may include: medication birth control pills or hormone-releasing intrauterine devices.
Uterine fibroid embolization UFE. In this minimally invasive procedure guided by an x-ray camera called a fluoroscope, tiny particles are injected through a catheter into uterine arteries that are delivering blood to fibroids, blocking blood flow and causing the fibroids to shrink.
Endometrial ablation. Guided by a narrow lighted tube with a viewing device on the end called a hysteroscope , the lining of the uterus is destroyed using a laser or other specialized instruments that produce heat, freezing, microwave energy or electrical currents.
0コメント