Purpose, Preparation, Risks, and Results

Renal ultrasound (renal ultrasound) is a safe and non -invasive imaging test that uses sound waves to create images of your kidneys and your bladder. It helps health care providers to detect kidney stones, tumors, infections, damage and structural anomalies.

Due to the safety of the test and the great availability, it is often the first imaging procedure that health care providers use to assess kidney health.

Your health care provider may recommend renal ultrasound if you have signs or symptoms that can be linked to your anatomy or kidney function, such as proteins in your urine, nausea, loss of appetite or swelling in your hands and feet.

Renal ultrasound can help detect:

• Anomalies of the size or location of your kidneys
• Signs of injury or damage to your kidneys
• Blood flow to the kidneys
• Presence of kidney stones, cysts or tumors
• How your bladder

Your health care provider can also use kidney ultrasound to help guide the needle during a kidney biopsy, which involves taking a small fabric sample.

Your health care provider can give you instructions on how to prepare for the procedure. They can cover subjects such as:

• Food and drinks: You may need to fast (avoid eating or drinking anything) for a few hours before the test. Sometimes you may have to drink 24 ounces (three glasses) of water before the procedure to help create lighter images. Discuss with your health care provider their recommendations.
• Use of the bathroom: This can help you if your bladder is full, so your health professional may ask you to refrain from urinating that day until the imagery test is finished.
• What to wear: Wear comfortable clothes that you can easily remove or adjust. In some cases, you may need to put a hospital dress for the procedure.

You will also usually have to consult your insurer, if you have one, to understand if it will cover the costs of ultrasound.

Ultrasonic imaging uses a small portable device, called a transducer, which emits sound waves. The sound waves cross your body and bounce towards the transducer of your organs. A computer then uses these sound waves to create images of your kidneys.

During the test

Before undergoing a kidney ultrasound, you may need to turn into a hospital dress or expose the skin otherwise near your kidneys. The ultrasounder, a technologist specially trained to perform ultrasounds, will then ask you to lie on an examination table.

Then, they will apply a water -based gel on the skin area near the kidney or the kidneys they examine. This gel helps ensure good contact between the transducer and your skin.

Ultrasound moves the transducer back and forth to this area, sending sound waves through your skin to the internal organs. A computer measures the sound waves that bounce back from your organs and creates images of your kidneys. The ultrasound can ask you to hold your breath to help them get better images.

The entire procedure takes about 30 minutes to finish. In most cases, you will not feel any discomfort unless the area is already tender.

After the test

A kidney ultrasound does not require any recovery time. You can usually leave the hospital or the clinic after a kidney ultrasound and return to your daily activities.

A radiologist, a doctor specializing in the interpretation of the results of imaging procedures, generally reviews your ultrasound images and gives the results to your health care provider.

The ultrasounds are generally quite safe, without significant side effects. Unlike X -rays, ultrasounds do not use ionizing radiation and are not associated with exposure to radiation.

In rare cases, an ultrasound can interfere with the tissues and fluids of your body. Summer waves can heat body tissue and produce small gas pockets in body fluids or tissues. Experts are not yet sure of long -term effects. Health care providers recommend that they are only undergoing ultrasound if necessary.

The results of the renal ultrasound are generally available in a day or two of the test. You can expect your health care provider to review the results with you and discuss all the next steps. Based on the results, they may recommend processing or additional tests, such as a kidney biopsy.

If you have a condition that your health care provider deals with, he may also recommend planning follow -up visits to monitor your health and assess if your treatment works.

Renal ultrasound is a procedure that helps to assess the health, structure and function of your kidneys and bladder. It is a quick procedure that a specially trained health professional can perform in a clinic or a hospital. This type of imaging procedure is also safe and not invasive, using sound waves technology to create computerized images of your internal organs.