Why is this procedure done?
Your peripheral vascular system is the blood vessels in your neck, arms, legs, and belly area. A peripheral vascular ultrasound looks at how your blood flows through your blood vessels. An ultrasound uses sound waves to make images or pictures of your blood vessels. It is safe and does not hurt. You may have a peripheral vascular ultrasound to: ‚
- Check blood flow to your organs and tissues
- Check the cause of pain and swelling of the vessels
- Look for blood clots
- Find out if there is a swollen artery
- See how well your veins are working
- Learn more about varicose veins
- Find out results of vein surgery
What will the results be?
The results will help your doctor understand if there is a problem with your blood vessels. ‚
What happens before the procedure?
No special preparation is needed. Do not smoke the day of your procedure. Chemicals in cigarettes can change the blood vessels. ‚
What happens during the procedure?
- You will be asked to lie down on a bed. The technician will place a small amount of warm gel on your skin. It will help transmit sound waves inside your body.
- The technician will use a probe and will move it over the area. The probe puts out sound waves. The sound waves bounce off of your organs and blood vessels. A computer picks up the sound waves. It changes them into pictures.
- You can see the pictures in a monitor beside the bed. There may be graphs or colored pictures of the blood flow. You may hear swishing sounds. You may also hear pulse like sounds that change in pitch as the blood flows through your vessels.
- The probe may move over your skin and change positions. This will help to get more clear and complete images.
- The technician may take still pictures or a videotape of moving images. Sometimes, the technician may press the probe more firmly to get a clearer view of an area. You may feel some discomfort. The technician may ask you to change positions or hold your breath for a few seconds.
- The procedure takes about 30 to 60 minutes.
What happens after the procedure?
The technician will wipe off the gel. You can go home right after your procedure. ‚
A special doctor will look at the ultrasound. The results will help your doctor understand if there is a problem with your blood vessels. They will show important details why signs and problems happened. They will also show the flow of your blood through the blood vessels after surgery. Talk to your doctor about when the results will be available. ‚
What care is needed at home?
You may go back to your normal activities when you go home. ‚
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- The results will help your doctor understand what kind of problem you have. Together you can make a plan for more care.
What problems could happen?
Ultrasound tests do not cause any harm to your blood vessels or to your health. Call your doctor if you have any new problems or concerns. ‚
Where can I learn more?
RadiologyInfo.org ‚
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=vascularus ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚