During the diagnostic process we can use two non-invasive and painless techniques: radiology and ultrasonography. To obtain good quality radiological images the patient needs to be sedated or put under general anesthesia, the only exception to this is if the patient is very sick and the risk of anesthesia is too high. Radiology is most often used to diagnose conditions such as fractures, osteoarthritis, pulmonary and dental disease. In the below photo is an example of a wobbly tooth under X-ray showing almost no bone is left around the root. In this case extraction was required.
Patients are usually fully conscious for ultrasonography however occasionally they may need sedation. This technique is mostly used for diagnosing conditions like urinary tract disease, pregnancy and abdominal masses etc.
The photo underneath is of a urinary bladder stone that was diagnosed using ultrasonography and surgically removed.
