Intestinal Ultrasound

The Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy offers intestinal ultrasounds for people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

What is an intestinal ultrasound?

An intestinal ultrasound is a tool that evaluates the intestinal inflammation of patients with IBD.

Traditionally, doctors have monitored patients with IBD through colonoscopies, laboratory testing, CT scans, and MRI imaging. These approaches are effective but can be intrusive and time-intensive. They may require bowel preparation, anesthesia, or exposure to radiation, and results are not always immediately available. 

In contrast, an intestinal ultrasound is noninvasive and provides you and your doctor with real-time insight. It won’t remove the need for the more invasive tests, but it may reduce how often you need them.

How is an intestinal ultrasound performed?

Intestinal ultrasounds are performed during standard office visits. During this procedure, the technician will:

1. Apply gel to your abdomen.
2. Press sensors against your abdomen that help create a real-time image of your bowels on the monitor.
3. Record the results to track your progress over time.

How does an intestinal ultrasound work?

An intestinal ultrasound gives doctors the ability to evaluate your inflammation in real time and thus better personalize your treatment and monitor how your therapy is working.

Because you’ll be awake and involved during the exam, you’ll be able to see and understand what’s happening in your intestines.

Growing clinical experience shows that this technology can help:

• Identify active inflammation quickly 
• Clarify whether or not symptoms you’re feeling reflect active disease 
• Monitor response to medications