Post by Vanderbilt University Medical Center

The benefits of ultrasound technology go far beyond traditional associations with pregnancy. At Vanderbilt Health, neurosurgeons are using it to reduce the huge "burden of imaging" for patients with complex cerebrospinal fluid disorders. Through the Hydrocephalus, Chiari and Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorders Center, patients now receive ultrasound on demand and on location during regular clinic visits. By using natural anatomical "windows" and newer ultrasound-permeable skull reconstruction materials, physicians can bypass bone structures to get immediate answers. “An ultrasound allows us to image the brain from different angles ... and it can tell us right then and there in a point-of-care fashion if the decompression surgery was effective,” said Ryan Lee, MD, director of the center. Kara Piepenbrink, who underwent decompression surgery in 2025 after a long and exhausting journey to receive a Chiari diagnosis, welcomes the advancement. "The ultrasound was painless and fast. Being able to have that versus multiple MRIs is amazing," she said. "It alleviates stress, and I want to get that done instead." To see the technology in action and hear more from Kara and Dr. Lee, watch the videos in our story: https://bit.ly/43v1c4O