It is the latest technology which is used to diagnose the vascular diseases like heart attacks, strokes etc. It is basically used for examining arteries and veins in your body.
Vascular ultrasound is a non-invasive way to examine your vascular system and diagnose vascular disease. It is mostly used for cardiovascular diagnostics. It is not only used in hospitals but can be easily performed at home by the patients themselves. It is mostly used to determine the patency of blood vessels and heart function.
It is a painless procedure that is performed using high-frequency sound waves. During the examination, a transducer is placed on the patient’s skin and emits a sound wave to examine the arteries, veins and other parts of the body. The ultrasound is harmless as it does not emit any radiation.
How is Vascular Ultrasound performed?
The Vascular Ultrasound is performed using two-dimensional ultrasound or B-mode. The transducer is moved over the area where you want to examine and it is rotated. This helps to identify the different parts of the body.
Vascular ultrasound is usually performed in the following steps:
• Once you are lying down on the bed, your legs will be raised to expose your feet. You should be asked to relax while keeping your arms by your sides. Your doctor will then place the transducer on your skin, at the ankle area.
• Your doctor will now use the probe to scan the arteries and veins in the leg. It may take few minutes to complete one side. The scan is then repeated for the other leg.
• After completing the examination of both legs, your doctor will check the pulse rate and other vital signs.
What does Vascular Ultrasound do?
The vascular ultrasound is used to detect the presence of blood clots or any other blockages in the blood vessels. It is mainly used to diagnose arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, which is a major cause of heart attacks and strokes.
It is also used to examine the veins for blockage, varicose veins, and any other abnormalities. The examination can be performed to determine the blood flow in the leg, if the blood flow is blocked then the treatment will be started immediately.
Other uses of Vascular Ultrasound:
• The ultrasound can be used to detect tumors or growths in your body.
• The ultrasound can also be used to detect other problems in the abdomen, liver, kidneys, lungs and heart.
• It is also used to examine the fetus in pregnant women.
• It can be used to check the presence of breast cancer.
Conclusion:
Vascular ultrasound is one of the most popular medical procedures. It is a painless procedure and it doesn’t require any kind of anesthesia. It is mostly used to diagnose the vascular diseases.
If you want to know more about Vascular Ultrasound, then I suggest that you read our article which will help you to understand all the aspects of this technology.