An abdominal ultrasound uses sound waves to look at organs in your tummy, such as the liver, gallbladder and kidneys. It does not use radiation. Compare private clinics and send an enquiry to the one you choose.
Search ultrasound providers near youAn abdominal ultrasound looks at the organs inside your tummy. A probe is moved over your skin and gives off sound waves, which bounce off the organs and are picked up by the probe to build images on a screen. The NHS notes that ultrasound scans do not use any radiation, unlike X-rays or CT scans. When the question is mainly about one organ, the same type of scan may be called a liver ultrasound or a kidney ultrasound.
FindScan is a directory, not a clinic. We list private imaging providers across the UK, show each clinic's own listed price as the clinic sets it, and pass your enquiry to the clinic you pick. This page covers what an abdominal ultrasound looks at, how to prepare, where it has limits, and how to compare clinics. For more detail, read our guide abdominal ultrasound explained.
Cancer Research UK lists the areas that an ultrasound of the tummy (abdomen) can look at:
What is included varies by clinic. Some clinics offer a full abdominal scan, others a focused scan of one area such as the liver or the kidneys, and some combine the abdomen with the pelvis. Check exactly which organs are covered when you enquire. For scans of the womb and ovaries, see our guide to vascular and pelvic ultrasound.
The NHS says ultrasound is used to investigate symptoms such as pain or a lump, and to monitor some conditions. NHS condition pages mention it in several places relevant to the abdomen:
If you have had abnormal blood test results, the doctor who arranged them is usually the best person to say which test should come next.
Ultrasound is not always the scan doctors choose. For example, the NHS says that when a scan is needed to diagnose kidney stones, adults usually have a CT scan, while an ultrasound scan is used for people who are pregnant and for children under 16. For chronic kidney disease, MRI or CT may be used instead of, or as well as, ultrasound.
A scan answers a specific question. A normal abdominal ultrasound does not mean every organ is healthy, and it does not replace blood tests or a doctor's assessment. If the images do not answer the question, the report may suggest a different test. Our guide to ultrasound versus MRI explains the trade-offs.
Do not wait for a private scan if you have severe or sudden symptoms. The NHS gallstones page advises:
The NHS kidney stones page also advises an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 if you think you have kidney stones and you are in severe pain or have a high temperature. For symptoms that are not urgent, a GP can examine you and decide which test, if any, you need. See our guide on seeing a GP before a scan.
Ultrasound does not use ionising radiation, so the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations, which require a referral for X-ray and CT, do not apply. Many private clinics accept self-referral for an abdominal ultrasound, usually after their own screening questions about your symptoms and history. Each clinic sets its own policy, and some may ask for a letter from your GP or a clinical reason for the scan, so check when you enquire.
Check your appointment letter for instructions. Cancer Research UK says you might need to stop eating for 6 hours before an ultrasound scan, and that you should tell the scan team if this will be a problem for you, for example if you have diabetes. You may also be asked to drink plenty before the scan so that your bladder is comfortably full, and during a tummy scan the sonographer might ask you to empty your bladder part way through.
The NHS adds that you may need to remove jewellery or piercings from the area being scanned. Instructions differ depending on which organs are being looked at, so follow the clinic's own advice. Our guide on how to prepare for your scan has a general checklist.
A sonographer or a radiologist usually does the scan. You lie down, the lights may be dimmed, and gel is put on your tummy before the probe is moved across your skin. The NHS says the probe used for an external ultrasound does not usually cause any pain, and an appointment usually takes around 10 to 45 minutes, although it might take longer.
Your scan is reported by an appropriately qualified clinician. Some clinics can talk you through what was seen at the appointment, others send a written report later. The clinic will tell you how long its report takes and who it is sent to. A report may recommend more tests or a follow-up. Our guide to scan results explains what to ask.
Prices vary by clinic. The main factors are whether you need a single organ or a full abdominal scan, whether it is combined with another area such as the pelvis, the region, and what the price includes, such as the written report. FindScan shows each clinic's own listed price, without mark-up. Read more in private ultrasound scan costs in the UK.
Search for ultrasound clinics near you, compare what each one lists, and send an enquiry to the clinic you choose. FindScan passes your details to that clinic, which then contacts you about suitability, preparation and availability. FindScan does not carry out scans, give medical advice or take bookings or payments.
See ultrasound clinics near you or read more about private ultrasound scans.
A liver ultrasound focuses on the liver, while a full abdominal ultrasound usually looks at several organs, such as the liver, gallbladder, pancreas and kidneys. Some clinics offer both. Ask which organs are included before you choose.
You may need to. Cancer Research UK says you might need to stop eating for 6 hours before an ultrasound scan. Follow the clinic's own instructions, and tell it in advance if fasting would be a problem, for example if you have diabetes.
Many private clinics accept self-referral for ultrasound because it does not use ionising radiation, so IR(ME)R does not apply. Each clinic sets its own policy and usually asks screening questions first.
No. The NHS says the sound waves used in ultrasound scans are safe, and that ultrasound does not use any radiation, unlike X-rays or CT scans.
The NHS lists an ultrasound scan as one of the tests you may have if you have symptoms of gallstones, along with a blood test. If you have severe or lasting tummy pain, get medical help first.
The NHS says an ultrasound appointment usually takes around 10 to 45 minutes, although it might take longer. The clinic can tell you how long to allow.
FindScan is a directory and enquiry service, not a healthcare provider, and nothing here is medical advice. Speak to a GP or another clinician about your symptoms.