Table of Contents
One morning, Khushi woke up with extreme pain in the pelvic region. As Khushi is a champ badminton player, she ignored her backaches and leg pains, thinking they were caused by muscle strain. It has been more than 15 days now, that she is past her menses dates. Confused and worried about her health, she immediately goes to see her gynaecologist. Her doctor prescribed a tvs ultrasound to her. She is confused about what it was and what did she have to undergo.
If you, too, don’t know much about tvs ultrasound, keep reading this blog post to know everything.
What Is Ultrasound?
An ultrasound test is done to see the health of some internal organs. It is done to know the size, placement, shape, and blood flow of the organ. It is used to see if there is any disease or problem present in that internal organ. Images are procured of the internal organ and later examined by your doctor.
It is done using a transducer that sends out high-frequency ultrasound waves that the human ears can’t hear. The transducer is placed on the skin so that the ultrasound waves can travel in the body to the organs. When the sound wave hits the organ, it bounces off like an echo and travels back to the transducer. The transducer processes these reflected waves are processed by the transducer, which is then converted into an image by the computer. This image shows the examined organs and tissues.
A gel is put on the transducer and the skin to move smoothly without much friction. This gel is also used to eliminate air that is present between the skin and the transducer. This helps in the best sound conduction for tvs ultrasound.
Ultrasound can be used to check pelvic health too. There are three ways through which it is done- transvaginal, transabdominal, and transrectal.
What Is TVS Ultrasound?
Tvs ultrasound stands for a transvaginal ultrasound. It is a kind of pelvic ultrasound. It is also called an endovaginal ultrasound. When ultrasound is used to create real-time images to examine the health of female reproductive organs, it is called transvaginal ultrasound or tvs ultrasound. These images are examined by a doctor to check abnormalities and diagnose problems.
“Transvaginal” means “through the vagina”. It is an internal examination. In regular pelvic ultrasounds or abdominal ultrasounds, the transducer is glided on the outer skin of the pelvis or abdomen. But in tvs ultrasound, the transducer is inserted about 2 or 3 inches into the vaginal canal.
When Is TVS Ultrasound Done?
There are many reasons for getting a tvs ultrasound prescribed to you by your doctor. A transvaginal ultrasound is prescribed only when it is necessary. The reasons include,
- Checking of cysts in the ovary
- Uterine fibroids
- For an ectopic pregnancy
- Infertility
- Obscure vaginal bleeding
- Unexplained pelvic pain
- Abnormal pelvic
- For abdominal exam
- For verifying whether or not an IUD is placed properly
Your gynaecologist can also suggest tvs ultrasound during pregnancy to monitor the fetus’s heartbeat, check placenta abnormalities, examine abnormal bleeding, diagnose miscarriage, check for complications, and confirm early pregnancy.
Preparation for TVS Ultrasound
Well, there is mostly nothing to prepare beforehand. When you arrive for your transvaginal ultrasound session, you’ll be asked to remove your closed waist down and put on a gown. Therefore, wear something comfortable and easy to remove.
Your bladder needs to be complete while going in for a tvs ultrasound as a full bladder will help your internal structures like intestines, uterus, fallopian tube, vagina, etc., to lift. This will assist in obtaining a more precise image for further examination.
For a full bladder, you need to drink around 32 ounces of water or any other liquid. This needs to be done about an hour before your ultrasound session.
If you are on your period, you need to remove your tampon or menstrual cup before the ultrasound.
Conclusion
Tvs ultrasound or transvaginal ultrasound is a pelvic ultrasound done through the vagina to check the health of the vaginal region. This ultrasound is widely used for pregnancy-related check-ups or issues. Transvaginal ultrasound gives real-time images of your reproductive organs. This data is then examined to check for any problems or plausible diagnoses. Any discomfort in the pelvic region or the vaginal part should never be ignored as these are the critical and sensitive parts of the body. One should see their gynaecologist or physician immediately in case of any kind of unexplained discomfort.
