Abdominal and Pelvic ultrasound
An ultrasound, also named sonography, of the abdomen and the pelvic makes it possible to see your abdominal and pelvic organs: liver, gallbladder, kidneys, bladder, uterus, ovaries, prostate and seminal vesicles.
Like all ultrasounds, the examination doesn’t use X-rays and can be used to:
- Diagnose an illness (look for tumors and infection, explore an inflammatory syndrome)
- Track changes in a disease (cancer monitoring)
- Track the growth and study the proper development of the organs of a fetus during pregnancy
- Guide a surgeon during certain surgical interventions
Preparing for the Examination (for adults)
To properly prepare for your sonography of the abdomen and the pelvic, you must :
- fast for 4 to 6 hours before the examination
- not chew gum
- have finished drinking 4 eight-ounce (960 mL) glasses of water 75 minutes before your appointment (without urinating)
Steps to follow
Here are the steps to properly prepare for your exam:
If your examination is in the morning
We will ask you to :
- not absorb solid or liquid food after midnight
- take your medication if it is essential
- not chew gum
- have finished drinking four eight-ounce (960 mL) glasses of water 75 minutes before the test and not to urinate. You need to have a full bladder during your appointment.
If your examination is after 1 p.m.
We will ask you to :
- not eat any solid foods or drink any liquids for 4 to 6 hours before the examination
- take your medication if it is essential
- not eat fatty foods in the morning (e.g. muffins, eggs, cheese, sausages, bacon, butter, margarine). You can eat a serving of oatmeal with fruit and bread, or other similar foods
- have finished drinking four eight-ounce (960 mL) glasses of water 75 minutes before the test and not to urinate. You need to have a full bladder during your appointment.
Preparing for the Examination (for children)
- Newborn to 2 years old: 4 hours of fasting and drink water 2 hours before the scan
- 3 years to 13 years: 4 to 6 hours of fasting, do not empty the bladder before the exam and drink 15 ounces of water (450 ml) about 30 to 60 minutes before the exam (varies by child).
- 14 years and older: consult the section preparing for the examination for adults
A medical prescription is required to perform this examination. The cost of this examination is covered by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) at Imagix when prescribed by a physician.*
*Members of the College des Médecins du Québec (CMQ) registered in the Quebec Physicians Directory
