Arterial/ Venous Ultrasound

What is an arterial and venous ultrasound?

An arterial and venous ultrasound is a non-invasive diagnostic test that examines how blood moves through your blood vessels. 

During the test, an ultrasound technician uses a transducer to send sound waves into your body. The sound waves bounce off the organs and return to the transducer. The transducer then sends the information to a computer that translates the sound waves into moving images. 

An arterial and venous ultrasound provides pictures of your arteries and veins. The imaging helps find blockages that may impair normal circulation. A doppler ultrasound is a special ultrasound that estimates how fast blood moves through a blood vessel. 

When do I need an arterial and venous ultrasound?

Cardiology Specialists of Orange County uses arterial and venous ultrasound testing to confirm or rule out many common circulation problems. You may benefit from the non-invasive test to diagnose:

• A deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Carotid artery disease
• Coronary artery disease
• An aneurysm

Your cardiologist may also recommend a venous ultrasound when you come in for a varicose vein consultation. 

The venous ultrasound determines if your varicose veins are a symptom of chronic venous insufficiency, which is a serious circulation problem that impairs blood flow through the veins in your legs. 

The arterial and venous ultrasound may determine if you need angioplasty and stenting to open up blocked blood vessels. The cardiologists also perform the ultrasound test to evaluate your blood vessels after this procedure. 

What can I expect during an arterial and venous ultrasound?

Your cardiologist performs your arterial and venous ultrasound at the office. The procedure is painless and takes less than an hour.

During the ultrasound, the technician first applies a special gel to your skin to improve the transducer’s movement and conduction. Your technician then places the transducer on your skin and adjusts placement to get the desired images. 

After your arterial and venous ultrasound, your cardiologist reviews the test findings with you and provides recommendations.

There’s no downtime following your arterial and venous ultrasound, and you can resume your usual activities after the procedure unless your cardiologist says otherwise. 

To schedule a consultation at Cardiology Specialists of Orange County to learn more about arterial and venous ultrasounds, call the office closest to you or book online today.