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The Benefits of a Vascular Ultrasound
Do you have poor circulation or deep varicose veins? Perhaps you’ve been diagnosed with peripheral artery disease, heart disease, or a condition such as Factor V Leiden that could cause blood clots.
Our board-certified radiologists with REDI Diagnostics Corp in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, perform vascular ultrasounds for patients every day. If we find signs of a blockage in your vein or artery, we promptly send a report to your physician to provide information that’s key to your treatment plan.
What is a vascular ultrasound, and why do I need one?
A vascular ultrasound is a noninvasive method to determine how well your blood is circulating through your blood vessels, veins, and arteries. Blood flow is critical to your health because your blood brings life-giving oxygen and nutrients to all the bones and soft tissue in your body, from your head to your toes.
If we determine you have plaque in your arteries or a blood clot, your doctor forms a plan to eliminate the blockage and improve your blood flow.
You lie on a table while we spread a gel over the area of your body to be explored. Your radiologist runs a handheld ultrasound device over your skin. The device transmits pictures of the tissue and organs inside your body as well as how your blood is moving through your blood vessels. The test takes 30-45 minutes. You can relax while we do the work.
Benefits of a vascular ultrasound
Vascular ultrasounds have many benefits. Your doctor may send you to us because you have symptoms such as a burning sensation or pain in your legs. On the other hand, you may have no symptoms, but you have poor circulation and/or risk factors for heart disease.
Sometimes, vascular disease doesn’t present symptoms until you have an adverse health event. A vascular ultrasound can tell whether you have plaque in your arteries or a blood clot that could cause a pulmonary embolism.
You could develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a clot that forms in the deep veins in your leg or pelvis. Deep vein thrombosis can block the arteries to your lungs and could be fatal. We can identify DVT with a vascular ultrasound.
Your radiologist might find carotid artery disease, meaning arteries to your brain are blocked. If this condition isn’t treated, you’re at risk of a stroke or even vision loss on one side.
A vascular ultrasound can identify many health conditions
We can diagnose any of the following conditions via vascular ultrasound:
- Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
- Blood vessels that have become narrow
- Blood clots
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Peripheral artery disease
- Blocked blood vessels
- Reduced blood flow to organs
- Aneurysm
- Tumors
- Varicose veins
- Carotid artery disease
Vascular ultrasounds can also help us monitor the success of previous procedures you may have had to alleviate vascular problems. Perhaps you’ve had a procedure to bypass blood vessels. The ultrasound images show whether the procedure successfully met its goals.
A vascular ultrasound helps your doctor plan the right treatment
This test shows the exact location of the problem within your vascular system and whether you’ve sustained damage to your arteries, blood vessels, veins, tissues, and organs. A vascular ultrasound provides your doctor with detailed images that identify abnormalities. This way, your physician can develop a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.
A vascular ultrasound is safe and noninvasive
A vascular ultrasound is a safe and effective test that provides important information to your physicians. There are no needles, injections, or contrast dye. This procedure provides images of the inside of your body. No radiation is used.
REDI Diagnostics Corp provides quick turnaround times for test results. Most patients receive the results of their vascular ultrasound within 24-48 hours. Call REDI Diagnostics Corp or book an appointment online today if you need a vascular ultrasound.
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