Understanding Your Transvaginal Ultrasound Scan
What is an Ultrasound scan?
An ultrasound scan is a test that involves taking pictures of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound can be used to look at all soft tissue structures and blood vessels. Pulses of ultrasound are sent through the skin into your body which then echo (‘bounce back’) from the various parts of the body, creating an image. The scan is carried out by an ultrasongrapher and the images are recorded and interpreted in order to make a diagnosis. There are no side effects from this examination.
Before your appointment
Some preparation is required prior to your examination. You can eat normally but you must drink at least one litre (2 pints) of water, one hour before your appointment. Do not empty your bladder before the scan. If you do not have a full bladder it may not be possible to have the scan.
If you require assistance with language interpretation or would wish to be escorted by a friend, relative or carer, please advise the Patient Referral Centre so the clinic staff are ready for you. Please also let us know before the appointment if you would prefer to be seen by an ultrasonographer of the same sex. In order to provide an ultrasonographer of the same sex we might have to change your appointment.
Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time; if you are late we may not be able to carry out your test. Please do not bring children to your appointment.
On arrival
On arrival one of our staff will explain the procedure to you and answer any further questions you may have. You will be asked to undress and may need to put on an examination gown.
The examination
You will be asked to lie down on a couch. Some lubricating gel will be applied to the lower abdomen. This gel enables the ultrasonographer to get better contact between your skin and the ultrasound probe. The probe is similar to a very thick blunt pen and is connected by a wire to an ultrasound machine and monitor. Pulses of ultrasound are sent from the probe through the skin to the part of the body under examination. The probe is gently moved over the surface of the skin and an image is produced on the monitor.
Female Patients
A procedure known as a trans-vaginal ultrasound scan may also be required. The transvaginal scan gives much clearer pictures of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes than the abdominal scan. Your sonographer will decide if this is needed. For this scan the probe is about 6 inches long (15cm) and about one inch (2cm) in diameter and is inserted into your vagina. It is connected by a lead to an ultrasound machine and monitor. Pulses of ultrasound are sent from the probe through the lining of your vagina to the part of your body being examined. The probe is gently rotated and ultrasound pictures are sent to the monitor screen.
The ideal time to have this scan is 2 weeks following your menstrual period. You may wish to change your appointment to ensure you are not having a period on the date of the scan.
How long will it take?
The length of time taken depends on the type of examination. Usually an ultrasound procedure will take between fifteen minutes and half an hour.
How will I get the results?
The ultrasound report will be received by the doctor who referred you for your ultrasound scan. You should telephone to confirm that they have received your report before arranging an appointment, unless the doctor has made different arrangements with you. Occasionally you might be required to attend one of our specialist clinics, you will be told about this after you have had your scan. The sonographer cannot explain the results of the test to you. You need to discuss this with your GP or consultant.
Giving your consent
The information contained within this leaflet is intended to provide you with an overview of the examination or treatment that you are to receive. Prior to any medical procedure being carried out, the healthcare professional conducting the procedure will describe the nature of the examination or treatment you are to receive. It is your right to be given sufficient information to be able to make an informed decision as to whether you wish to consent to the examination/treatment to be carried out. Please ask any questions you may have.
The pelvic abdominal examination requires your verbal consent only. Female patients will also be required to give written consent if a transvaginal scan is required.
In addition to giving consent for the test or procedure to be undertaken, either verbal or written, all NHS patients are required to give written consent to data sharing. This is because we have to share patient identifiable information with other organisations in order to report a patient’s scan/test and we have to share the test results with the referring GP or consultant. Occasionally it is necessary to request a further report for a second opinion. We are also obliged to provide a sample of our images and reports to an independent clinician for clinical audit and quality assurance. Any audit reports issued contain no patient identifiable information.
InHealth has a strict policy regarding patient confidentiality which means that we never share information about patients with anyone/organisation that does not need to know about the patient’s clinical condition. InHealth never shares any information about patients with commercial companies or gives personal details to anyone who works outside of our company, its clinical providers and the local NHS. All our clinical providers conform with our confidentiality policy.
If you are not willing to complete the consent process in accordance with our requirements it may not be possible to complete your test or procedure.
For further information, please contact the Patient Referral Centre on 0844 581 0300, or visit our website at www.inhealthlondon.com
About InHealth (London)
We are a leading independent health-care provider and we provide X-rays, scans and other tests on behalf of the NHS. We are committed to helping GPs meet their 18-week 'referral-to-treatment' waiting-time targets by providing various tests and scans locally to help GPs make a diagnosis as quickly as possible. GPs are able to refer you directly to us for tests so you won't need to attend a hospital outpatient appointment. We will send your test results to your GP so that they can decide whether you need to see a hospital specialist. For more information, please visit our website www.inhealthlondon.com or contact us as shown below:
Patient Information Line: 0844 581 0300
Email: londoninfo@inhealthgroup.com
How to Complain
If you have a complaint about any part of the service you have received from us, you can do one of the following.
1. Discuss it with the Unit Manager during your visit.
2. Call our Customer Care Team on 0844 581 0300
3. Write to the Quality Manager, InHealth (London), Beechwood Hall, Kingsmead Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 1JL.
4. Use the NHS complaints procedure on the Department of Health’s website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/ComplaintsPolicy/fs/en.
We welcome your comments about our service. We recognise that the way we monitor and handle complaints reflects the quality of our service and represents an opportunity for us to continuously improve.
When we are handling your complaint, we promise to:
• be accessible – you can contact us to check on the progress of your complaint;
• be impartial – we will treat every complaint fairly;
• be responsive – we will reply to you as soon as we can, and let you know if there will be a delay; and
• respect your confidentiality.
We will attempt to sort out your complaint as soon as possible after receiving it. We will usually acknowledge written complaints within 48 hours of receiving them, and send you a full reply within 20 working days of your complaint. If we cannot sort out your complaint within 20 working days, we will tell you what progress we have made and why there has been a delay.
A complaints handler will deal with your complaint. If you are not satisfied with their reply, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to the Operations Director. If you have any other questions or you would like a copy of our customer complaints policy, please call our Customer Care Team on 0844 581 0300
We have a number of sites which perform scans and tests. Directions to all of them can be found here.
