Specializing in obstetric & gynecologic sonography is an excellent choice for men and women who want to have a career in the medical field and are passionate about ensuring the excellent reproductive health of women as well as the unborn babies of pregnant women. Obstetric & gynecologic sonography is a specific type of ultrasonography that is dedicated to capturing images of the Fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus and other female pelvic organs. In order to be successful in this career you must have a basic knowledge of sonography, a specialized knowledge of obstetrics & gynecology and a good bedside manner with women who may be nervous or uncomfortable.
Some obstetric and gynecologic ultrasound exams are performed transabdominally, in which the female patient's full bladder acts as an acoustic window to better visualize large lesions of the pelvic organs. Other exams are performed transvaginally with a transducer specially designed for this task which offers better resolution of the endometrium, ovaries and uterus due to higher frequency imaging. Being able to perform or assist with these procedures requires education, hands-on training and certification to ensure that the sonographer has acquired the proper skills for these specialized tasks.
Although gynecologic sonography is used extensively for check-ups on pregnant mothers and their unborn fetuses, it has many other important uses. These procedures are used to diagnose and manage gynecologic cancer and other gynecologic problems including endometriosis, leiomyoma, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts and lesions, for starters. They are also used to assess pelvic organs, identify adnexal masses such as with an ectopic pregnancy, and they are used to track the response of ovarian follicles to fertility medication in infertility treatments. Transvaginal sonography can also be used to aspirate ovarian cysts. There is also a specialized procedure called sonohysterography, in which a fluid such as sterile saline is injected in the uterine cavity before the sonography is performed to outline intrauterine pathology such as Asherman's syndrome, polyps, submucous leiomyoma or uterine malformations.
Although obstetric & gynecologic ultrasound procedures are not painful and are as minimally invasive as possible, it can often be a nerve-racking experience for the patient. But if you have a good bedside manner and a knack for science and math, this could be the career for you.
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