If you have been called in for a breast ultrasound then you may be wondering what kind of experience you are going to have. To be honest anything relating to the breasts in women can be quite scary and unnerving, but there really is nothing to worry about with regards to going in for an ultrasound and it is best to have this done in order to ensure that everything is in full working order. A breast ultrasound is a very simple procedure which won’t take much time at all, and here is what you can expect to happen.
What Does an Ultrasound Do?
This is an imaging test which gives the doctor a clear picture of your breast. Through this test they will be able to check your breast tissue, the lymph nodes, the lobules on the upper part of the breast and the ducts below the areola. This is the same test which is given to pregnant mothers who wish to see their baby, and it is performed by sending sound waves through the breast and then that is what helps to give an image of what is going on below. This test will allow the healthcare provider to agin a view of the breast and most importantly to see how well the blood is flowing.
What Do You Have To Do?
In reality there is nothing that you have to do, your doctor or nurse will put a clear gel on your breast and then wave a wand-like device over the top of the gel, this is what will be sending the sound waves. This is all that is required in order to carry out the test and the device will be moved over the breast depending on which particular area they wish to look at. It may be a good idea in preparation that you wear a top which can be easily removed and that you are not wearing jewelry on the top half of your body.
What Results Can You Expect?
First of all the results will be explained right away, there is no need for a deep review of the results that are found in your ultrasound and as soon as you have your top back on your doctor will sit you down and explain what they were able to see. Now in most cases an ultrasound is used because of an inconsistency that a mammogram has picked up or if you are younger and you have particularly dense breast tissue which the mammogram cannot study very well. Another reason that this may be used is if you need a biopsy of lymph nodes, if this is the case then they will use an ultrasound to guide the needle to where it needs to go. Ultimately you will have a pretty good idea before your ultrasound why it is being done and what you can expect from the results.
This is a simple and quick procedure which will be over and done with before you know it.
