Gynecologists use pelvic ultrasounds, which is a test that produces sound waves to provide a picture of the inside of the body, specifically the pelvis. It allows the doctor, like Dr. Trandai to view the bladder, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. To view these areas on the female patients, the ultrasound can be done two different ways: - Transabdominal Is done using a small hand-held device which is scanned back and forth over your lower abdomen. - Transvaginal Is a thin, long device that is called a transducer, it is lubricated for ease of access in to your vagina. Ultrasounds are completed as a means to: - Find a cause for any urinary issues - Find what is causing the patient’s pelvic pain - Review for causes of vaginal bleeding and other menstrual problems - Check for any growth factors of masses that may be ovarian cysts or uterine fibroids - Check to see if the fertilized egg is growing outside of the uterus which is known as tubal pregnancy - Confirm wherein the pregnancy the patient is at, and check on the baby’s heartbeat and growth - Make sure the inserted IUD (intrauterine device) has been placed correctly To use the ultrasound machine, will depend on the type of ultrasound completed: - Transabdominal Ultrasound Patients will lie down on their back on the provided medical examination table. A warm lube-type gel will be spread over the lower abdomen which improves the transmission of the sound waves being relayed through the hand-held transducer. This transducer is pressed somewhat hard into the belly and gently moved back and forth to get better images for the medical sonographer to capture images of. The images can be seen on a video monitor for the patient to review. - Transvaginal Ultrasound Patients will lie down on their back on the provided medical examination table with their knees bent upwards and their feet and legs either near their bum or in the supported footrests, depending on the type of examination table. The tip of the thin, long, lubricated transducer probe will be placed gently at the entrance of the vagina. The medical sonographer will have the patient insert it, and they will take hold again after and move it around to get a complete view. The images taken from the ultrasound exam will be available to review on the video monitor.