It is done by having a person called a “tech” or a doctor use a small device and press it against an area of the body that we are examining to take pictures of it. The images are better seen with an application of a gel on the skin prior to the placement of the small probe.
In Urology, ultrasound allows us to see the kidney, penis, bladder, testicles, penis and the prostate gland.
![An ultrasound technician scans a patients abdomen while they lay shirtless on an exam table](https://www.browardurologycenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/iStock-845316588-ultrasound.jpg)
Penile Doppler Ultrasound
An ultrasound of the penis is a common test we do in the office to evaluate erections. Please click here to learn more about a penile doppler ultrasound.
Advantages
- This is a “real-time” test meaning that we can see with the ultrasound what is actively happening; for instance in pregnancy, we use ultrasound to see the baby moving.
- Patients are not exposed to any radiation
- It is a good test at evaluating kidney cysts, tumors, seeing kidney blockage or kidney stones.
- We have multiple types of ultrasound technology in the office to perform evaluations of our patients.
Disadvantages
- Stones that are seen on ultrasound may not always be accurately measured like you may on a CT scan.
- Sometimes the picture may look a little fuzzy depending on the type of machine used and depending on how deep the organ we are looking at is.