What does a Sonographer do?
A diagnostic medical sonographer is a highly-skilled professional who uses a transducer to image structures within the body. The transducer works like a loudspeaker and microphone because it can transmit sound and receive sound. The transducer detects sound waves as they bounce off the internal structures. Different structures in the body reflect these sound waves differently and are used to make an image on a screen.
Sonographers evaluate nearly any part of the body. The images they obtain help to aid the physician in a medical diagnosis. Common exams performed by a sonographer include:
- Abdominal – gallbladder, liver, pancreas, spleen, kidneys
- Female pelvis – uterus, ovaries
- Male pelvis – prostate, scrotum
- Obstetrics - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimesters or pregnancy
- Other – thyroid, breast, pediatrics
- Biopsies and other interventional procedures
Keywords: