fasting for sonogram

[samsonsmom2005]

When having a sonogram to check gallbladder, should you be fasting?  Does not fasting make a difference?
How do you know if there is disease then, if you have been eating before sonogram?

[samsonsmom2005]

She has been sick, complaining about stomach hurting, unable to eat. She went to her GP who scheduled the sonogram; she called me with the results of "contracted gallbladder" with no explanation, that's all they told her; so I googled, ...... that's where I read about fasting and questioned her on it.  All I can say is typical Odessa, Texas doctors, do not trust them with your health/life.  And, yes she is still not feeling well.!

[Christopher R Watters, MD]

Almost anything that you put in your stomach results in a signal for your gallbladder to contract. It is very important to fast before the study for it to be valid. The idea is to visualize the full gallbladder for accurate information. To see a contracted gallbladder in a fasting patient is abnormal. In a patient that hasn't fasted, a contracted gallbladder is expected and renders the study almost useless. Only if there is shadowing consistent with a stone filled gallbladder would it be meaningful in this situation. Sometimes we will obtain an U/S to assess the bile ducts. these don't depend on fasting state. Why did they even do the study if she hadn't fasted? I am assuming that it wasn't an emergency.

[samsonsmom2005]

my daughter was told hers was contracted.  she ate a little food before having sonogram done, I'm just trying to figure whether or not the sonogram was accurate and nothing was missed, so far everything I have googled says it is better to fast so the sonogram will be more accurate

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

For an ultrasonogram, it checks the anatomical structure, the walls the content of the gallbladder. Fasting may help as the bowels are not loaded, but you can take fluids, this will ensure that the sound waves pass through for better visualization.  

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.