Gynae Ultrasound and TVS Scan in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow

A pelvic ultrasound, also called a transabdominal scan, is done over the lower abdomen. A full bladder acts like a window. It lifts the bowel out of the way so sound can reach the womb and ovaries. The scan gives a wide view and is the first step for many problems.

A transvaginal scan, or TVS, passes a slim, covered probe a short way into the vagina, so it sits close to the womb and ovaries. It shows the womb lining, the ovaries and small cysts or fibroids in finer detail. It helps most when the lower abdomen is thick or the womb is tilted backwards.

Many women have both in one visit. The abdominal view comes first. Then you empty your bladder and have the TVS. Your symptoms, your age and your doctor's question decide which you need.

It depends on the scan. A wrong bladder is a common reason for a repeat visit.

• Pelvic (abdominal) scan: finish drinking four to six glasses of water about an hour before the appointment, and hold your urine. The bladder should feel full but bearable.
• TVS alone: empty your bladder just before the scan. A full bladder pushes the womb and ovaries away from the probe and is uncomfortable.
• Both scans in one visit: arrive with a full bladder. After the abdominal part, the radiologist will ask you to empty your bladder before the TVS.
• Follicular monitoring: usually done by TVS, so an empty bladder.

If your bladder becomes painfully full while you wait, tell the team. Passing a little urine is better than lying in discomfort, and they will tell you how much to drink again.

It shows the size, shape and position of the womb, the thickness of its lining, the ovaries and their follicles, and any fluid in the pelvis. It can find fibroids (muscle growths in the womb wall), polyps and ovarian cysts. It can show whether a coil (an intrauterine contraceptive device, or IUCD) is in the right place, and some causes of heavy bleeding or pelvic pain. Ovaries with many small follicles may also be seen, which doctors read together with symptoms and blood tests.

It cannot tell with certainty what a growth is made of. It cannot show whether the fallopian tubes are open, and it can miss early endometriosis. A cyst may need a repeat scan after a period, or another test. Tube checks need a different test that your doctor names. Send us the prescription and the team will confirm.

If a scan finds fibroids that cause heavy bleeding or pressure, your gynaecologist decides on treatment. Some options avoid open surgery, such as uterine fibroid embolization. When your doctor wants to see blood flow in an ovary or a growth, Colour Doppler can be added.

If the scan is done in early pregnancy, the PC-PNDT Act applies, as it does at every ultrasound centre in India. The Act makes it an offence to tell parents or relatives the sex of the baby, so our team cannot do so, and a short declaration form is signed before any scan in pregnancy.

Follicular monitoring, also called follicle tracking, uses TVS several times in one cycle. A follicle is a fluid-filled sac in the ovary that holds an egg. At each scan the radiologist measures the follicles in both ovaries and the thickness of the womb lining. Later scans show signs that the egg has been released.

Your gynaecologist or fertility doctor sets the dates. Scans usually start in the first half of the cycle, counted from the first day of your period, and are often repeated every day or two until ovulation is confirmed. The number of visits differs for each woman and each treatment plan.

Tell the team your cycle day and any tablets or injections you are taking, so the measurements are read correctly. Keep every report and carry them all to each visit.