You will not hear any of the ultrasound emission or the echoes sent back to the screen, although you may hear pulse-like sounds if a Doppler examination is ordered. You probably will lie on your back, and the table may be tilted or moved to provide better access to a particular area. Often you will have a chance to watch the screen along with the examiner, though it will not be easy to make sense out of what you see. You should feel free to ask the radiologist or technologist what the exam is showing at any time. Most ultrasound studies take no longer than a half hour.
Venous ultrasound is a completely painless examination.
When the exam is over the technologist will ask you to get dressed and wait until the radiologist can review the images. If no additional images are needed you will be free to leave. A technologist usually performs the procedure itself, but a radiologist who is experienced at interpreting ultrasound images will make the official reading and inform your physician. After receiving a summary of the findings, your physician will discuss with you what they mean and what should be done next. Some centers now pass on diagnostic reports and the images themselves over the Internet, speeding up the process considerably.