What does a patient need to do to prepare for a renal ultrasound exam?
Renal and bladder ultrasounds do not require fasting but do require a full bladder. Patients are asked to drink 32 ounces of water starting an hour before the exam and to arrive at the appointment time with a full bladder.
What will happen during the exam?
A renal and/or bladder ultrasound will be performed by a staff sonographer. He or she will coat the transducer with a coupling gel to facilitate movement of the probe and maximize image quality. The patient may feel some pressure due to bladder distension but no pain. The average renal and/or bladder ultrasound takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
Radiologyinfo.org for Patients
The radiology information resource for patients. RadiologyInfo.org tells you how various X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, radiation therapy and other procedures are performed. It also addresses what you may experience and how to prepare for the exams. The website contains over 200 procedure, exam and disease descriptions covering diagnostic and interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy and radiation safety and is updated frequently with new information. All material on the RadiologyInfo.org website is reviewed and approved by experts in the field of radiology from the ACR and RSNA, as well as other professional radiology organizations.