Non-Invasive Vascular US

An ultrasound image is a useful way of evaluating the body's circulatory system. Ultrasound images are captured in real-time, so they can help radiologists monitor the blood flow to organs and within arteries and veins throughout the body. Ultrasound imaging of the body's veins and arteries can help the radiologist see and evaluate blockages to blood flow, such as clots in veins and plaque in arteries. With knowledge about the arterial blood flow gained from an ultrasound image, the radiologist can often determine whether a patient is a good candidate for a procedure like angioplasty.

Ultrasound images may also be used to plan or review the success of procedures that graft or bypass blood vessels. Ultrasound of the veins may reveal blood clots that require treatment, such as anticoagulant therapy (blood thinner), or filters to prevent clots from traveling to the lungs (embolism). Ultrasound of the vascular system also provides a fast, noninvasive means of identifying blockages of blood flow in the neck arteries to the brain that might produce a stroke or mini-stroke.

What to expect with your procedure

You should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for your ultrasound exam. No other preparation is required. If your abdominal vessels are being studied, you will need to fast before the procedure.

Preparing for your procedure

The patient is positioned on an examination table and a clear gel is applied to the area to be examined in order to help the transducer make secure contact with the skin. The sound waves produced by the transducer cannot penetrate air, so the gel helps to eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin. The sonographer or radiologist  then presses the transducer firmly against the skin and sweeps it back and forth to image the area of interest.

 When the examination is complete the patient may be asked to dress and wait while the ultrasound images are reviewed, either on film or on a monitor. Often though, the sonographer or radiologist is able to review the ultrasound images in real time as they are acquired and the patient can be released immediately.