Most women are familiar with ultrasound (also called a sonogram), a prenatal test for pregnant women which uses sound waves to show an image of the baby while still in the womb. Ultrasound has many uses beyond pregnancy, however. A few examples of when a doctor may use ultrasound include looking for the cause of pelvic pain or abnormal vaginal bleeding, checking the ovaries during infertility treatment, and examining uterine fibroids.
Saline infused sonohysterogram is an advanced form of ultrasound used to identify the underlying cause of problems such as abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility, and repeated miscarriage. Fluid is injected through the cervix into the uterus and then ultrasound is used to create images of the uterine cavity. This fluid provides more detail than ultrasound used alone and may be recommended when a woman has had a normal ultrasound exam but is still having symptoms.
Shoemaker Gynecology uses the FemVue system which allows us to detect uterine abnormalities and also assess whether the fallopian tubes are open. FemVue uses a mixture of saline and air in a continuous stream. The air produces bubbles; the doctor watches to see if bubbles flow unimpeded through the fallopian tubes, indicating they are open. The procedure takes between 10 and 30 minutes, with results available immediately. Click here to learn more about FemVue.