Whole Abdomen Ultrasound
A focused scan for Liver, Kidney, Pancreas and more.
Overview
Examines Liver, Kidney, Pancreas, Spleen. Performed at an NABL-accredited Meridian Health centre with a same-day report and a free doctor review.
The full panel
4 areas across 1 groupEvery parameter, grouped by body system — no clicking to expand.
What this scan measures
A real-time ultrasound sweep of the whole abdomen — liver size and texture, gallbladder and bile ducts, pancreas, spleen, both kidneys, the urinary bladder, the aorta, and any free fluid between the organs. It shows soft tissue and fluid extremely well; it does not see through bowel gas or bone, so parts of the pancreas and retroperitoneum can be obscured.
It is the first-line imaging test for almost any abdominal complaint because it is quick, uses no radiation and answers the common questions directly: is there a gallstone, is the liver fatty or enlarged, is a kidney obstructed, is there free fluid.
Symptoms that lead to this scan
- Pain or fullness in the upper abdomen, especially after fatty food
- Yellowing of the eyes, or abnormal liver enzymes on a blood test
- Flank or loin pain, or blood in the urine
- Unexplained abdominal distension or weight loss
- Follow-up of a known gallstone, cyst or fatty liver
Understanding your results
A report describing 'grade I fatty liver' or a 'simple cyst' is describing a very common, usually benign appearance that is interpreted alongside your blood tests and symptoms rather than treated on sight. Gallstones are frequently found in people who have never had symptoms, and silent stones are often simply observed. A dilated renal collecting system (hydronephrosis) suggests obstruction somewhere along the urinary tract and usually prompts further imaging. Ultrasound findings are descriptions of appearance — the diagnosis comes from correlating them with your history and blood work.
Why the preparation matters
Six hours of fasting is not about the stomach — it is about the gallbladder. Eating makes the gallbladder contract and empty, and a collapsed gallbladder cannot be assessed for stones or wall thickening, so the scan may have to be repeated. Fasting also reduces bowel gas, which is the main thing that blocks the view of the pancreas and aorta. Plain water is allowed and helps fill the bladder.
Ultrasound — safety and who should not be scanned
Full Ultrasound guideUltrasound uses sound waves, not radiation, and there is no known harmful effect at diagnostic settings — it is the only cross-sectional modality used freely in pregnancy and repeatedly in children. Operators still follow the ALARA principle, using the lowest output for the shortest time needed, particularly in obstetric scanning. There is nothing to recover from and no restriction afterwards. The main limitation is not safety but operator dependence: the quality of an ultrasound depends heavily on the person holding the probe.
- No absolute contraindications
- There is no medical reason ultrasound cannot be performed on anyone, at any age, including in pregnancy. The limitations below are about image quality and consent rather than harm.
- Open wounds, burns or dressings over the area
- The probe needs direct contact with skin through gel, so a recent surgical wound, a burn, an ulcer or a plaster cast over the region may make the scan impossible or require it to be deferred until the dressing can be removed.
- Bowel gas and body habitus
- Sound does not travel through gas, so gas-filled bowel can obscure the pancreas, aorta and pelvic organs, and depth reduces resolution in larger patients. Fasting and a full bladder are used to improve the window; where the view remains inadequate, a CT or MRI is recommended instead.
- Transvaginal or transrectal scanning requires consent
- Internal probes give far better resolution of the pelvis, but they are always optional. They are not used without explicit consent, and a transabdominal approach is offered instead — including where an internal scan would be inappropriate.
- Not a substitute for mammography in screening
- Ultrasound complements mammography rather than replacing it: it cannot reliably show the microcalcifications that mammography detects. For symptomatic assessment in younger women it is the correct first test; for population screening it is not.
- Fetal sex determination is illegal in India
- Under the PCPNDT Act, no person or centre may disclose the sex of a fetus at any stage, and no request for it will be entertained. This applies to every obstetric scan and does not affect any other part of the examination or its report.
Who should consider this scan
- Anyone with unexplained upper or lower abdominal pain
- People with abnormal liver or kidney blood tests
- Anyone with known gallstones, cysts or fatty liver under follow-up
- People with unexplained fever or weight loss
- Adults having a preventive whole-body assessment
Conditions it helps detect
How it works
Patient stories
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