Abdominal ultrasound in Seoul, explained clearly

What an abdominal ultrasound in Seoul involves

An abdominal ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create live images of the organs in your upper abdomen. You lie on an exam table, a cool gel is applied to your skin, and a handheld probe is moved across your abdomen. You may be asked to take a deep breath and hold it, or to roll onto your side. The scan itself usually takes around 15 to 30 minutes and does not hurt, though pressing over a tender gallbladder can be uncomfortable.

At VEI Clinic, an abdominal ultrasound in Seoul is part of a medical assessment, not a stand-alone scan. Dr. HyunSung Park, a board-certified internal medicine specialist with gastroenterology subspecialty training, first takes your history and examines you, often alongside blood tests such as liver function. That way the scan answers a specific question, and the results are interpreted together with everything else.

What ultrasound can show, and what it cannot

Ultrasound is very good at some things and limited at others. Knowing the difference helps you decide whether it is the right test.

• Liver: size, fatty change (steatosis), cysts and many focal lesions
• Gallbladder: gallstones, sludge, wall thickening and signs of inflammation
• Bile ducts: whether they are widened, which can suggest a blockage
• Kidneys: stones, cysts and swelling from a blocked drainage system
• Spleen size and the abdominal aorta, including screening for an aneurysm when appropriate
• Bladder: volume and how well it empties

Limits you should know about

Ultrasound cannot see well through gas or bone, so the pancreas and bowel are often only partly visible, especially after eating or in people with a lot of abdominal fat. It does not examine the inside lining of the stomach or bowel; that requires endoscopy or colonoscopy, which are not performed at VEI Clinic and are arranged at a hospital when needed. Ultrasound can detect fatty liver, but it is less reliable at grading how much scarring (fibrosis) is present, so blood-based scores or specialized scans may be added.

A normal ultrasound does not rule out every cause of pain. If symptoms continue or something needs a closer look, Dr. Park may recommend a CT or MRI scan, or a referral to a specialist.

How to prepare

Good preparation gives clearer pictures, particularly of the gallbladder, which contracts after meals.

• Do not eat for six to eight hours before the scan; plain water is usually allowed
• Avoid fizzy drinks, chewing gum and smoking beforehand, as they increase gas
• Take your regular medicines with a little water unless told otherwise; ask us if you have diabetes and take glucose-lowering medicine
• Wear a loose two-piece outfit so your upper abdomen is easy to reach
• Bring earlier scan reports or images if you have them, so changes can be compared

Common findings and what happens next

Many results are reassuring or incidental. Simple liver or kidney cysts are common and usually need no treatment. Gallstones without symptoms are often simply watched, while gallstones that cause pain attacks may lead to a surgical referral. Fatty liver is a signal to look at weight, blood sugar, cholesterol and alcohol, and to check for scarring. A widened bile duct, an unclear liver lesion or a swollen kidney usually means further imaging or a specialist opinion.

Whatever the result, Dr. Park explains what it means for you, whether any follow-up scan is needed and when, and what you can do in the meantime.

Who it suits, and when to go to an emergency room

Abdominal ultrasound suits people with upper right or upper central abdominal pain, especially after meals, abnormal liver blood tests, suspected fatty liver or gallstones, follow-up of known liver or kidney cysts, or a health checkup that flagged something to recheck. If fatty liver is the main concern, our fatty liver clinic covers the longer-term plan.

It is not a substitute for emergency care. Call 119 or go to an emergency room for severe or rapidly worsening abdominal pain, a rigid abdomen, vomiting blood, black stools, high fever with yellowing of the skin or eyes, or pain with fainting. Suspected appendicitis or bowel blockage usually needs hospital CT and surgical review rather than a clinic scan.