During a gynaecological ultrasound, we visualise your uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries using sound waves.
Why do I need this exam?
There are various reasons to perform a gynaecological ultrasound:
- Problems with blood loss, e.g. extremely heavy or painful menstruation, intermenstrual blood loss or post-menopausal blood loss
- Pain in your lower abdomen
- To check a diaphragm, if there are doubts about its successful placement or if you experience any complaints
- In case of a suspected ectopic pregnancy
- Check-up after a miscarriage.
Although a gynaecological ultrasound is versatile, not all abnormalities will show up. For example, it is often difficult to detect inflammation in the abdomen and abnormalities of the cervix.
What will we do?
There are two ways to perform a gynaecological ultrasound: internally via the vagina or externally via the abdominal wall. We prefer the internal exam, as it produces sharper images.
Internally ultrasound
Our sonographer will show you to the dressing room where you can take off your undergarments. You will then lie down on the examination table. The sonographer will insert the so-called transducer into your vagina. The transducer is a small device with a round head that we use to perform the ultrasound exam. The sonographer will place a kind of condom around the transducer and apply a gel. This makes it easier to insert the device into your vagina. This procedure is generally painless. For an internal examination, it is important that you have an empty bladder. The ultrasound can be performed even if you are menstruating at the time.
Externally ultrasound
For an external ultrasound exam, you must lie down on the examination table. You can keep your clothes on; only your abdomen needs to be bare. The sonographer will apply a gel to your abdomen to improve the conductivity of the sound waves. An external ultrasound is painless.
Duration of the exam
The exam will take circa 10 minutes in total.
How soon can you see me?
We want to help you as quickly as possible, which is why we keep the waiting times short at Diagnostiek voor U. Take a look at the current overview of waiting times for the various exams or read more about our waiting times on this page.
The results
The sonographer can immediately give you the results of the examination. Sometimes, they may first want to confer with the supervising gynaecologist. In that case, you will receive the results later. We will forward the results to your general practitioner, physician or obstetrician.
