Vascular
Ultrasound
A
vascular ultrasound is a diagnostic medical test that measures how well
blood moves through your blood vessels. It combines traditional
ultrasound technology with Doppler ultrasonography to create a picture
from the sound waves that bounce off the veins and arteries.
The
Doppler aspect captures sound waves as they bounce off moving, like the
blood flowing through your vessels. It is able to calculate
flow rate as well as study the flow in other ways to get an overall
picture of how well blood is moving through your body.
There are
several uses for the vascular ultrasound. The test can be performed
over the abdomen to examine the arteries and veins in that area. This
reveals the state of the aorta and whether an abdominal aortic aneurysm
is present. An ultrasound can also be performed on the
extremities when there are problems with the arms, hands, feet or
legs. The test can also be performed on the kidneys and the connecting
vessels. In addition, the carotid duplex ultrasound is a test that
examines the carotid artery in your neck for clots, narrowing and
aneurysms.
This type of ultrasound is used to help your doctor
diagnose or rule out conditions like: an abdominal aneurysm, blood
clot,
varicose veins symptoms, carotid artery disease, venous insufficiency and
arterial occlusion. There is generally no special preparation
needed for the vascular ultrasound. However, if you are having one of
these tests on your abdominal area, your doctor may ask you to fast
from midnight the night before until after the test.
The
vascular ultrasound is performed in the radiology department of a local
hospital as an outpatient. Then you will be on a
table and expose the area to be tested. The technician will smear some
gel on your skin that helps the sound waves better penetrate your
tissues. The test is generally performed by a trained technician
rather than a doctor. He takes the wand or transducer and moves it
around in the gel over the testing area. While the technician performs
your test, you should attempt to keep as still as possible. The
technician may want you to hold a certain position throughout the test
or he may want you to reposition yourself periodically.
The
Doppler will emit a sound that is coordinated with your heart
beat and blood movement. A picture will form on the monitor screen that
reflects the appearance of your vessels. During the test you will feel
pressure from the transducer as the technician moves it across your
skin, but there is no discomfort or pain associated with it.
While the test is performed by a technician, the
test is read and evaluated by a physician so it may take a few days to
get the results unless your test was done as an emergency procedure. In
that case you may know the results before you leave the building.
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