Ultrasound is safe and painless, and produces pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. High-frequency sound waves are transmitted from the probe through a small amount of gel and into the body. The probe collects the sounds that bounce back and a computer then uses those sound waves to create an image. Ultrasound examinations do not use ionizing radiation, thus there is no radiation exposure to the patient. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs. Most patients do not need to be sedated for the procedure making ultrasound a very safe and effective diagnostic tool.
