Should You Get a Private Ultrasound?

Should You Get a Private Ultrasound? Benefits & Considerations

Ultrasound is a quick, safe and painless way to create images of the inside of your body. It’s often used to help diagnose medical conditions. So, if you are wondering “should I get a private ultrasound?”, the answer depends on your concerns.

If you’re worried about unexplained symptoms, such as swelling, pain, tenderness or discomfort, a private ultrasound scan can help to uncover the underlying cause and give you peace of mind. Or perhaps you’re worried about a family history of medical conditions — an ultrasound scan can provide the reassurance you need.

Here, we’ll explore how ultrasound works, what it can detect and what to expect during an ultrasound scan at a private ultrasound clinic. We’ll also look at the benefits and limitations of ultrasound.

How does ultrasound work?

Ultrasound technology uses high frequency sound waves to create detailed images of the inside of your body. These are live images that you can see in real-time on a computer screen.

Unlike MRI and CT scans, ultrasound equipment does not involve the use of a large scanning machine. Instead, it uses a small handheld probe connected to a computer.

The probe releases harmless ultrasound waves into your body. You will not be able to hear these sounds as they are beyond the limit of human hearing. The sound waves bounce back whenever they come across a boundary between different types of tissue or areas of different densities.

These bounces, known as echoes, are detected by the ultrasound probe and converted into digital information that is presented on the computer screen as live, grayscale images.

Over 1,000 echoes can be detected per second, allowing images to be captured in real time.

Ultrasound benefits

Speed

Ultrasound scans can take 15–45 minutes to complete, depending on which part of your body is being scanned.

An MRI scan, on the other hand, can take up to 90 minutes, and a CT scan can take up to one hour.

Space

During an MRI scan, you need to lie back on a patient table that is moved into the tube part of the scanner.

Similarly, during a CT scan, the patient table will be moved into the ring part of the scanner. For individuals who struggle with small spaces, this can be challenging.

However, ultrasound scans are carried out using a handheld probe, so you will not feel claustrophobic.

No radiation

CT scans use ionising radiation. This means you can’t self-refer for a private CT scan and will need a healthcare professional, such as a doctor, to decide whether it’s needed.

Ultrasound doesn’t use any radiation, so you can self-refer for a private ultrasound scan and avoid lengthy NHS waiting times. This also means it’s completely safe to use throughout pregnancy.

No magnets

MRI uses powerful magnets to create a magnetic field around your body during your scan. Certain metal implants or metal shrapnel are, therefore, not compatible with MRI. This is because the magnets can shift the position of the metal within the body, and the scan can cause the metal to warm up.

Ultrasound does not use any magnets and so is safe to use with all metal implants and medical devices.

Ultrasound limitations

2D not 3D

CT and MRI scans both produce images in 3D, which allows for easy examination of a tissue or region from all angles.

Ultrasound produces 2D images so the operator of the scan must move the probe around to create images of tissues from different angles.

Suitability

The high frequency sound waves used in ultrasound do not travel well through fat. This means it can be more difficult to achieve clear images in individuals who are obese.

Clarity

CT and MRI scans produce highly detailed images of the inside of your body. The resolution of ultrasound is lower than these scans, but good enough to monitor or diagnose a range of conditions.

What to expect during a private ultrasound

You can eat and drink as normal before your ultrasound appointment and can take any medications as usual.

Depending on which part of your body you need scanned, you may be asked to change into a hospital gown.

A gel will be applied to the area to be scanned. This is to make sure there are no gaps of air between your body and the ultrasound probe during your scan — air can interfere with the transmission of the sound waves.

The probe will then be moved over your body, and live images will be displayed on a screen. In some cases, gentle pressure may be applied to get a clearer image of the tissues inside your body for more accurate results.

After your private scan, the gel will be wiped off, and you can return to your usual activities straight away.

At Vista Health, we aim to provide a report with your scan results within 3 working days, which can also be sent to your NHS GP.

Alternatively, you can book a GP consultation with one of our experienced Vista Health GPs. They will explain exactly what the results mean for you, including whether you may need further tests, such as blood tests or additional scans, or whether you need treatment. You can then make an informed decision about your next steps.

What can ultrasound detect?

Ultrasound can detect damage caused by disease and injury. What’s more, you can have a private ultrasound scan of almost any part of your body except the head — this is because ultrasound waves do not easily pass through an adult skull.

Abdominal ultrasound

You might want to have an abdominal scan using ultrasound if you have abdominal pain, tenderness, swelling or or have noticed a lump.

An abdominal ultrasound scan can create images of your gallbladder, biliary system and pancreas, as well as your kidneys, liver, spleen and central blood vessels. This can help detect a range of conditions, including:

Some cancers — this includes kidney cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer
Cysts — these are fluid-filled structures eg kidney or liver cysts
Infection — this includes kidney infections (pyelonephritis) and liver infections (hepatitis)
Inflammation — this includes inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) and inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis)
Stones — these are lumps of minerals and salts that form in the kidneys or gallbladder and can block the bile duct

An abdominal ultrasound can also be used to examine the bladder, which extends into the abdomen when it’s full. This can help detect bladder stones, bladder cancer and an overactive bladder.

Cardiac ultrasound

An ultrasound scan of the heart is also known as an echocardiogram. It creates images of the heart and its main blood vessels and can help detect a range of heart conditions. This includes cardiomyopathy, endocarditis, heart defects, heart failure and heart valve problems. It can also assess damage after a heart attack.

A doppler ultrasound of the heart also checks blood flow through the heart.

Joint ultrasound

Ultrasound is ideal for imaging joints to look for any damage and see how the joint responds when moving. This is possible because you don’t need to keep still during an ultrasound scan as it creates rapid, real-time images of your tissues.

An ultrasound scan of your joints can help detect damage to the soft tissues, which include tendons, ligaments, muscles and fluid-filled sacs called bursae. A joint ultrasound scan can, therefore, help diagnose:

Bursitis
Ganglion cysts
Ligament tears and sprains
Muscle tears
Tendonitis
Tendon tears

Pelvic ultrasound

This is performed to investigate the reproductive organs.

Transvaginal scans are a type of pelvic ultrasound performed in women using a special ultrasound probe shaped for better comfort when inserted into the vagina. This can help detect fibroids in the womb, cysts in the ovaries, womb cancer and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Transrectal scans are a type of pelvic ultrasound that uses another type of ultrasound probe shaped for better comfort when inserted into the rectum. In men, this is often used to investigate the prostate. An ultrasound scan of the prostate can help detect possible prostate cancer, an enlarged prostate and inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis).

Get clarity today

Don’t let unexplained symptoms cause you any more worry. Have them investigated and get expert insights with a quick, painless and safe private ultrasound scan at Vista Health.

Sources

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6223172

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/aortic-aneurysm/causes

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/4995-ultrasound

https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/science-topics/ultrasound