Vascular Ultrasound

Vascular ultrasound helps to evaluate blood flow in your arteries and veins. Dedicated sonographer Joyce Morris, RVT, and her colleagues at JerBear Imaging in Brownwood, Texas, specialize in vascular ultrasound, using it to diagnose blood clots, peripheral arterial disease, and other blood vessel disorders. Call JerBear Imaging to learn how vascular ultrasound could improve your diagnosis and treatment, or request an appointment using the online booking feature today.

What is vascular ultrasound?

Vascular ultrasound is a diagnostic test that evaluates arteries and veins, looking for damage or blockages that may affect blood flow. It uses sound wave technology to create real-time images of your blood vessels.

Vascular ultrasound is a noninvasive test that usually requires little preparation.

What are the types of vascular ultrasound?

There are many types of vascular ultrasound, including:

• Ankle-brachial index (ABI)
• Renal artery imaging
• Carotid duplex
• Aorta and iliac imaging
• Upper and lower extremity arterial duplex imaging
• Upper and lower extremity venous duplex imaging
• Mesenteric artery imaging

Doppler technology often forms a vital aspect of vascular ultrasound. Doppler is a special technique that evaluates blood flow through a vessel.

One of the most advanced vascular ultrasound imaging procedures is intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) testing, taking images from inside the blood vessel.

When do I need a vascular ultrasound?

Your doctor determines when you need a vascular ultrasound after completing an evaluation. They may recommend the diagnostic test if you complain of symptoms like pain, swelling, and/or cramping in one or both legs.

Information from a vascular ultrasound helps to diagnose vein and artery conditions like:

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)

PAD develops when the arteries supplying blood to your legs get narrower, limiting oxygen supply and potentially causing tissue death. Untreated PAD can result in foot or leg amputation.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

A DVT is a vein in your leg where a blood clot lodges, blocking blood flow. DVTs require urgent treatment because the clot could break off and travel to the lungs, triggering a potentially life-threatening pulmonary embolism.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)

CVI causes varicose veins, unsightly, twisted veins that typically affect the legs.

Carotid artery disease

Blocked carotid arteries in the neck deprive your brain of oxygen and are a leading cause of strokes.

You may also need a vascular ultrasound to see if you’re suitable for minimally invasive procedures like angioplasty to open up blocked or narrowed blood vessels and to check artery health after heart bypass surgery.

What happens during a vascular ultrasound?

After changing into an exam gown, you sit on the ultrasound chair. Joyce applies a gel to your skin and then moves the transducer back and forth to obtain the images.

A vascular ultrasound might take 30 to 45 minutes, after which you may resume your normal activities unless directed otherwise.

Call JerBear Imaging for detailed information on undergoing vascular ultrasound, or use the online booking tool to request an appointment today.