What to Expect During an Ultrasound

Ultrasounds are one of the safest, least invasive imaging tools. It’s so safe that ultrasound testing is the preferred imaging tool for women during pregnancy. Health professionals use ultrasounds to evaluate many parts of the body, including the blood vessels.

At Advanced Vascular Solutions in Sebastian, Florida, our vascular expert, Dr. Hadi Shalhoub, performs on-site vascular ultrasound testing to diagnose arterial and venous circulatory conditions. What’s an ultrasound like? In this blog, we share what you can expect during a vascular ultrasound.

About ultrasound testing

Ultrasound is an imaging tool that uses sound wave technology similar to sonar (sound navigation and ranging) used by submarines. However, instead of images of the ocean, ultrasound creates pictures of the tissues and organs inside your body.

During an ultrasound, we use a handheld device — the transducer — that sends sound waves into the body. These sound waves bounce off the body part we’re looking at and back to the transducer. The transducer then sends the information to a computer that translates it into a live-action image.

Health professionals use ultrasounds to look at the digestive system, urinary tract, and of course a woman’s womb. At Advanced Vascular Solutions, we use ultrasounds to look at blood vessels to evaluate your circulation. 

Do I need ultrasound testing?

Using ultrasound helps us diagnose conditions that affect your circulatory system. We might recommend ultrasound testing to confirm or rule out conditions such as:

• Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
• Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Poor leg wound healing related to circulation

We also use ultrasounds for our patients who come in with concerns about varicose veins. Though more of a cosmetic concern, these bumpy veins on your legs are also a sign of venous problems like CVI.

You may also need an ultrasound if you have leg pain, cramping, or swelling, which are common symptoms of circulatory conditions like PAD and CVI. 

What to expect during an ultrasound

Our vascular ultrasound tests are quick and painless and require no special preparation. You should wear comfortable clothing to your appointment.

After you change into an exam gown, we have you relax in the ultrasound exam chair and we lower the room lights to improve visibility on the ultrasound monitor. Our ultrasound technician applies a gel to your skin over the area we’re looking at. This gel improves conductivity for better imaging and also improves the movement of the transducer over your skin.

The technician glides the device over your skin so we can see your blood vessels and look for signs of narrowing, blockage, or damage. We may also perform a Doppler ultrasound, which allows us to assess the movement of blood through your blood vessels. The Doppler helps us diagnose vascular problems like PAD and DVTs.

The vascular ultrasound takes about 30 minutes, and you simply get dressed and go afterward, resuming your usual activities. 

With ultrasound testing, we can quickly and easily identify common vascular problems. To find out why your legs cramp when you climb stairs, call our office, or click the “Book online” button to schedule a consultation today.