Gall bladder ultrasound
Gall bladder ultrasound: this kind of picture is a diagnostic tool
Perhaps you went to the doctor with complaints of gastrointestinal discomfort. Maybe you mentioned during a regular physical that you just have not been feeling like yourself. The doctor listened to your complaint, performed an exam, and advised you to schedule a gall bladder ultrasound.
You scheduled it but now you are wondering exactly what it means.
A gall bladder ultrasound is also known as a cholecystography. It is a non-invasive outpatient procedure. You will likely be requested to don a gown so that your clothes do not get in the way of the ultrasound technician. In most cases, the technician will request that you lie flat on the exam table. He or she will apply gel to your skin or to the ultrasound device (sometimes called a wand); the gel makes the ultrasound device move smoothly across your skin. It may feel cold but many technicians keep the gel warm so it is more comfortable for patients; it may also feel unpleasantly slippery.
The technician will move the wand around on your skin while he or she looks at the computer screen which shows a real-time picture of the ultrasound images. This enables the technician to see exactly what is going on with your gall bladder. The technician will transmit these images to a radiologist and/or other physician so that a determination can be made about the cause of your discomfort.
There is another imaging possibility to help diagnose gall bladder problems. It is called a cholecystogram and it is an X-ray of the gall bladder using dye. This is ordered in some cases when the doctor wants to see a picture which shows contrast.
Gall bladder ultrasound: what does an image show?
An ultrasound consists of a series of images. Together, they show whether the gall bladder is of normal size and whether it is functioning properly. If it is not functioning properly, the ultrasound will help the physician figure out why it is causing regurgitation or discharging bile or otherwise working improperly.
Gall bladder ultrasound: potential gall bladder diagnoses
If the gall bladder ultrasound reveals that there is a problem, your doctor will determine what the official diagnosis is. There are a few possibilities, including gall stones or cholecystitis, which is basically an inflammation of the gall bladder.
The gall bladder ultrasound showed a gall stone. Now what?
If the ultrasound reveals the presence of gall stones, your doctor may request additional diagnostic testing to help fill out the picture of exactly what is going on. An upper GI (gastrointestinal) series is one way to do this. A GI series can be extremely helpful in pinpointing the exact location of the stones.
Once your physician has a clear picture of the scope of the gall stone problem, he or she will take the severity of the problem into account prior to making a recommendation about treatment. If the problems are intermittent, your physician may recommend simply following the condition but holding off on taking any action. On the other hand, if the problems are very frequent or especially severe, your physician may recommend that you have your gall bladder removed. This can be done via laparoscopic surgery or with traditional gall bladder surgery. Recovery can be significantly quicker and easier with laparoscopic surgery.
More