Ultrasound

An ultrasound is an imaging test that uses sound waves to create a picture (also known as a sonogram) of organs, tissues, and other structures inside the body. Unlike x-rays, ultrasounds don’t use any radiation so it is safe during pregnancy.

There are two main categories of ultrasounds: pregnancy ultrasound and diagnostic ultrasound.

Pregnancy ultrasound

is used to look at an unborn baby. The test can provide information about a baby’s growth, development, and overall health.

Diagnostic ultrasound

is used to view and provide information about other internal parts of the body. These include the heart, blood vessels, liver, bladder, kidneys, and female reproductive organs.

2D Ultrasounds

2D ultrasounds are flat black and white moving images of the inside of the body. Sound waves travel from the ultrasound transducer through the body and back again to produce a basic image that outlines the organs inside the body.

In routine investigation of female infertility 2D ultrasound are used to image the uterus, ovaries and pelvic cavity. It helps in detecting uterine abnormalities like fibroids, polyps, adenomyosis etc . It can also diagnose ovarian cysts, endometrioma, PCOS, premature ovarian failure etc. It is an integral part of infertility investigations and treatment. In female infertility a baseline scan is done on day 2/3 of menses to see the ovarian reserve and detect any abnormality. Transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) is also done at the time of infetility treatment to look at the developing ovarian follicles and endometrial lining.

3D Ultrasounds

3D ultrasounds show three-dimensional static images of the inside of the body. 3D ultrasounds gather data that can be divided and viewed from different angles, giving doctors a better understanding of the abnormal findings. It is very helpful in detecting the birth defects of uterus like uterine septum, unicornuate or bicornuate uterus.

3D Volume Study

With the help of 3D ultrasound machine volume study of the pelvic organs like uterus and ovaries can also be done . It is a important step in diagnosing and treating infertility.