What Is a Transvaginal Ultrasound and When Do You Need One?
Where women's reproductive health is concerned, medical imaging is a key to early diagnosis, fertility planning, and overall health. One procedure that is fairly routine but sometimes feared is the transvaginal ultrasound. If your physician has ordered this kind of scan, knowing what it is — and why it's performed — can calm fears and help prepare you for the process.
Understanding the Procedure
A transvaginal ultrasound is one of the pelvic imaging modalities that employs sound waves to generate images of the reproductive organs, such as the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and cervix. In contrast to an abdominal ultrasound, where scanning over the belly is needed, this test entails placing a thin, special probe into the vaginal canal in order to view closer and clearer structures inte...