An Ultrasound Scan uses sound to create pictures of the inside of your body. Doctors use this to find out more about your health problems.
This page gives you more information about Ultrasound scanning and how to contact us.
The ultrasound department is spread across the Royal Liverpool Hospital and Broadgreen Hospital sites where we currently have 5 ultrasound rooms at each hospital site.
It is very important for you to check your appointment letter to ensure you attend the correct hospital for your scan. We currently scan patients from 0840 - 1700 Monday to Friday in both hospitals.
We also provide some evening appointments at both hospitals from 1700-2000 on some days.
There will be some additional weekend appointments being offered in the near future also at the Royal Liverpool Hospital site.
An ultrasound scan uses high frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of your body. It helps us find the cause of your problem, and the best treatment options for you. Ultrasound is a very safe test in that there are no x-rays or other types of radiation used in order to complete the examination.
There are two types of staff that may perform your scan:
The sonographer or radiologist will ask you to lie on a bed. He or she will apply some gel to the area of your body that is going to be examined, so that the sound waves can be transmitted through the body. He or she will then move a small scanning instrument (called a transducer), over this area. You will be able to see the scan images on the screen.
You should not feel any pain during the scan. If you find it difficult or uncomfortable, please tell the sonographer.
An ultrasound scan usually takes 10 - 20 minutes, depending on the area of your body that is being scanned.
In most cases, you will be allowed to go straight home, back to the walk-in clinic or back to the ward if you are an inpatient. You can eat, drink and go back to your normal activities straight away.
Results are not routinely given at the end of your scan as the member of staff performing the scan will need to go away and study all of the pictures that they have taken during the scan before writing the results. The results will then be sent back to your doctor that has sent you for the test. If that doctor is a consultant at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospitals, the results will normally arrive within 1 working day and always within a week. If it was your GP or a consultant at another hospital, it is normally within 1 week.
If you are an inpatient, the results will be given to the doctors looking after you on the ward.