Transvaginal ultrasound: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

You will lie down on your back on a table with your knees bent. Your feet may be held in stirrups.

The ultrasound technician or doctor will introduce a probe into the vagina. It may be mildly uncomfortable, but will not hurt. The probe is covered with a condom and a gel.

• The probe transmits sound waves and records the reflections of those waves off body structures. The ultrasound machine creates an image of the body part.
• The image is displayed on the ultrasound machine. In many offices, the patient can see the image also.
• The provider will gently move the probe around the area to see the pelvic organs.

In some cases, a special transvaginal ultrasound method called saline infusion sonography (SIS) may be needed to more clearly view the uterus.