Ultrasound is a method for diagnosing the condition of internal organs, based on the different ability of tissues to absorb short ultrasound waves. As a result, the doctor on the screen of a special monitor sees the echogenic structure of the organ, which may indicate a particular pathology.
The question of when it is better to do pelvic ultrasound, you can not give a definite answer. The thing is what goals the doctor sets himself.
Let's start in order. Ultrasound of the ovaries, as a rule, is performed in conjunction with an examination of the entire area of โโthe woman's internal reproductive system. Indications for this diagnosis include the following situations:
- routine inspection;
- treatment control;
- pregnancy;
- Suspicion of gynecological pathology;
- change in the volume of secreted menstrual blood;
- Suspicion of pregnancy, pregnancy planning, and infertility;
- during the start of hormonal contraceptives, as well as when setting the intrauterine device.
Ultrasound of the ovaries can be performed in three main ways:
- Through the tissues of the abdomen, i.e. transabdominally. If the woman is not in position, then such an ultrasound should be performed with a filled bladder.
- Transvaginally - the sensor is inserted into the vagina, and thus diagnostics are performed.
- Mixed or combined method - first, an examination is carried out through the abdominal wall, and then through the vagina. This method is optimal because allows you to see a more accurate picture of what is happening.
Ultrasound of the ovaries to determine the normal maturation of the follicles and the formation of the egg is carried out on 5, 9, 11-14, 15 days of the menstrual cycle. These days are "indicative" for the consideration of woman's folliculogenesis. Most often, diagnosis on such days of the cycle is carried out when planning pregnancy, infertility or to evaluate the outcome of treatment.
In order to identify the viability of the uterine endothelium , ultrasound diagnostics are best done on days 20-21. In other cases, pelvic ultrasound can be done at any time, and there are no contraindications for this study.
Ultrasound examination is the most inexpensive, simple and informative method for the diagnosis of gynecological pathology.
Pelvic ultrasound: how is it done?
It is necessary to begin this procedure with preliminary preparation within 2-3 days. You need to follow a special diet, which will clear the intestines of old feces, gases and toxins. For eight hours before the procedure, the patient should not receive any food, and the last meal should be with a minimum content of fat and protein. It is best that it be a vegetable broth.
As described above, there are three main types of diagnosis of organs of the female reproductive system using ultrasonic waves. Each woman is warned in advance about how much fluid she should drink before the procedure, and for how long. Modern methods of ultrasound of the ovaries allow this procedure to be carried out with a small amount of drunk fluid an hour before the procedure.
If you are assigned a combined method of diagnosis, then prepare for the fact that the doctor will first look at the pelvic organs through the abdominal muscles, and then they will ask you to urinate (empty the bladder) to continue the diagnosis. A vaginal probe covered with a condom is inserted into the vagina to the cervix - this is how both the ovaries and the uterus are treated. In addition, the state of the Douglas space is determined (liquid sometimes accumulates here). Normally, the fallopian tubes are not visible on ultrasound, and there should be no fluid or blood in the adjacent space. Echogenicity of the uterus should be uniform, without structural changes.