Abdominal Ultrasound - Benefits and Risks
Benefits
- Most ultrasound imaging is noninvasive with no needles or injections used.
- Occasionally, an ultrasound exam may be temporarily uncomfortable, but it is almost never painful.
- Ultrasound is widely available, easy-to-use and less expensive than other imaging methods.
- Ultrasound imaging is extremely safe and does not use any ionizing radiation.
- Ultrasound imaging gives a clear picture of soft tissues that do not show up well on x-ray images.
- Ultrasound provides real-time imaging, making it a useful tool for guiding minimally invasive procedures such as needle biopsies and needle aspiration.
Risks
- For standard diagnostic ultrasound, there are no known harmful effects on humans.
