Helpful Tips for Your Upcoming Ultrasound Appointment!
What is Ultrasound?
Diagnostic ultrasound, also called sonography or diagnostic medical sonography, is an imaging method that uses sound waves to produce images of structures within your body. The images can provide valuable information for diagnosing and directing treatment for a variety of disease and conditions.
What to Expect?
Before your ultrasound begins, you may be asked to remove any jewelry from the area being examined, remove or reposition some/all of your clothing, and you will be asked to lie on an examination table.
A trained technologist (sonographer) will turn down the lights and ultrasound gel will then be applied to your skin over the areas that are being examined. This safe, water-based gel is easy to remove from skin, and if needed, clothing. They then will press a small hand-held device (probe/transducer) against the area being studied and move it as needed to capture the images. For some of the exams, the sonographer may have to apply slight pressure to the area to obtain accurate readings. Ultrasound is usually painless; however, you may experience mild discomfort as the sonographer guides the transducer over your body.
Exams at Sonoran Vein and Endovascular can take anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the tests ordered by your care provider. You should be able to return to normal activities immediately after an ultrasound.
Once the exam is complete, your doctor will analyzes the images and develop a care plan in which will be relayed to the consulting care provider. This process can take 2-5 days to complete. The consulting care provider will share the results with you during a later appointment.
Tests We Do & Why:
Abdominal Aorta Duplex Evaluation
This safe, non-invasive imaging test is administered to assess blood circulation in the aortoiliac system, which includes the main vein (IVC) and artery (Aorta) in the abdomen. This test also determines the diameter of the blood vessels, to accurately identify any abnormalities within this system.
REASONS YOU MAY HAVE THIS TEST:
Abdominal Pain, Family History of AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm), High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Diabetes, Peripheral Artery Disease, Limb Pain, and AAA Surveillance.
Lower Extremity Arterial Duplex Evaluation
This safe, non-invasive imaging test creates a color map of the arteries in your legs to identify any narrowing of your vessels that may be causing leg pain when walking, resting leg pain, foot, ankle, heel, or toe ulcers, and skin discoloration.
REASONS YOU MAY HAVE THIS TEST:
Limb Pain, Pain with Walking, Rest Pain, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Diabetes, Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), and PAD Surveillance.
Lower Extremity Venous Duplex Evaluation
This safe, non-invasive imaging test creates a color map of the veins in your legs to identify the potentiality of a deep vein thrombosis(DVT)/blood clot, and to see if there are any dilations of the vessels which can cause issues like chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) or venous ulcerations.
REASONS YOU MAY HAVE THIS TEST:
Limb Pain, Leg swelling, Heavy Legs, Achey Legs, Venous Ulcerations/Wounds, Skin Disturbances on the Legs, Rule Out DVT/Blood Clot, and Post-Procedure Surveillance.
Carotid Duplex Evaluation
This safe, noninvasive, imaging test uses sound waves to examine the blood flow through the carotid arteries, the artery that supplies blood flow to the brain. It also evaluates the thickness of the carotid artery wall for plaque build-up and checks for clots.
REASONS YOU MAY HAVE THIS TEST:
Dizziness, Syncope (Passing Out), Vision Disturbances, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Diabetes, Recent Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or Stroke, Unusual Sound in the Carotid Arteries (bruit) Detected Using a Stethoscope, and Carotid Artery Surveillance.