Now days there are various problems which make a normal healthy person nervous if the test results indicate something negative. There are some internal organs which you cannot directly operate and check the problem. So to solve this issue ultrasound was introduced.

Ultra sound scans can be defined as the high frequency sound waves that capture the images and internal happening of the organ via videos. This helps the doctors to view and diagnose the internal portions of your body without making any incision. In short it helps the doctor to understand what is going on inside your body.

Since ultrasound is for internal organs scanning similarly it includes various scans that are to be done for various different tests. One of them is abdominal ultrasounds. In this article you shall know the various steps for the abdominal ultrasound prep which an individual requires.

Let’s talk about what does abdominal ultrasound scans and the various steps are included in the preparation of the abdominal ultrasound.

What do you mean by abdominal ultrasound?

An abdominal ultrasound is defined as the ultrasound that is used to scan and evaluate the abdominal interiors and also the abdominal aorta. The organs or structures that are included in this are gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys and spleen. It is used to check the abdominal aortic aneurysm, a bulging mark in your abdominal aorta.

Mostly the abdominal ultrasound for an abdominal aortic aneurysm is suggested for the men in the ages between 65 to 75 years and who are or were smokers. It basically all depends on the doctors analysis that whether you have to get the above ultrasound done or not. The basic thing of abdominal ultrasound is to check the cavities present in the abdominal.

After you are aware about the term abdominal ultrasound, now let’s understand what are the risk factors or what causes the abdominal ultrasound.

Why is the abdominal ultrasound done?

Usually the doctors recommend the abdominal ultrasound when they see any risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm. The abdominal aortic ultrasound screening is recommended for the men between the ages of 65-75.

An abdominal ultrasound does not contain any harmful radiations like the other scans, thus this is more recommended for the pregnant women. The routine screening for the abdominal aortic aneurysm isn’t suggested for women.

There exist other reasons which create the circumstances to have an abdominal ultrasound. The reasons can be:

1. The doctor recommends you to have an abdominal ultrasound when he or she thinks that there might be a problem with another organ in your abdomen including kidneys, gallbladder, liver, spleen and pancreas.
2. The ultrasound is used to evaluate different circumstances which include tumors, kidney stones, liver functionality or bloating in the abdomen.

Once you know the areas or pain or the reason to get the abdominal ultrasound done you should have thorough knowledge of how you should the abdominal ultrasound prep should be done.

How to start the abdominal ultrasound prep?

Before going for an abdominal ultrasound you need to fast for about eight to twelve hours. This is because the food or liquid you have is not properly digested and it sticks into your stomach and bladder which makes it difficult for the ultrasound technician to get a clear image of your internal organ.

You should consult your doctor if is it okay for you to take medicines or water during fast. You need to have fat free food in the evening before you go for your ultrasound or before beginning your fast.

After you know how to prepare yourself it’s time to know about how the test will be performed or what you should expect before and after the test?

How the test will be performed?

Before the process:

The ultrasound test is not painful and is conducted within 30minutes of time. Before the test you shall be asked to change into the hospital gown.

Once you go for your abdominal ultrasound it is performed by the professionally trained technician or the sonographer. Then during the analysis phase you are asked to lay back and some gel is put on your abdomen to perform the scan. The gel is put so that if there is any air formation between your skin and the instrument, which is known as transducer that the technician uses to see your aorta.

The technician presses the device and moves it over your abdomen from one area to another. The transducer sends the pictures to the computer screen which the technician monitors. He or she also monitors the flow of your blood through your abdominal aorta so that they could check for the aneurysm.

After the procedure:

Once you are done with your abdominal ultrasound you doctor shall discuss the results of the exam once the reports arrive. If no problem such as aneurysm is found the doctor won’t recommend you for further screenings. If any problem is found then your doctor may recommend you to go for further treatments or other test once he or she discusses it with you.

Finally after the abdominal ultrasound prep process, the test being conducted its time for the apt solution or consultation for the result which is delivered after the test.

Resultant Treatment:

After your doctor looks at the results or the images from the ultrasound they firstly check whether you have abdominal aortic aneurysm. If you get the result positive in the case of aneurysm they will recommend you the following options:

Wait and watch:

If the size of the aneurysm is small about two inches then may be your doctor wants you to wait for the surgery or till your aneurysm is serious enough to be operated. In such cases doctor monitors your conditions using the ultrasound tests, usually for six to twelve months.

Repairing the open aneurysm:

When your doctor sees the results and your aneurysm is serious he or she will recommend you for the open aneurysm repair surgery. In this procedure your abdomen is opened to remove the portion of your abdominal aorta which has the aneurysm and replaces it with the tube like graft.

Endovascular stent graft:

In this procedure the support is provided to the weakened portion of the abdominal aorta, this is similar to the open aneurysm repair.

Thus on the whole, this article is like a guide for the abdominal ultrasound prep procedure which helps you to know all the aspects related to the recovery, treatment, causes and everything related to the abdominal ultrasound. And abdominal ultrasound is not harmful and you can easily get it examined without any fear or nervousness.

It’s all little moments that make life, so stay healthy and go for regular checkups!