Hello, my name is Cindy. I live in the suburbs of Sydney with my family. Although I would occasionally visit the doctor when I was feeling too good or if one of the children had a cold. However, my whole view on doctors changed when I found a lump on breast last year. I went to my GP in a panic, but he was a real sweetie. He calmed me down and explained he would refer me for a further investigation. Thankfully, they caught my cancer early and after some treatment, I made a full recovery. Since this close call, I have taken a keen interest in everything health related.
Vascular ultrasound is a completely safe and non-invasive procedure for checking how your blood is flowing through your veins and arteries. Here is a quick run-down of what you can expect from the procedure.
Clothing
What happens at your appointment will largely depend on the part of the body that is being inspected. You will probably be asked either to remove any clothing that is covering it up or to change into a hospital gown. If your abdomen is the subject of the procedure you may need to fast before the scan, but you will have been told this well in advance and it is not usually necessary for other parts of the body.
Position
How you are positioned will again depend on the part of the body under observation. Your technician may want you to lie on a couch, sit down or remain standing, depending on how conveniently they can access the part of the body for the scan. They may also ask you to change position during the scan itself.
The scan
Firstly, a gel will be applied to your skin on the part of your body under observation. The technician will then slide the scanner over you. This will not hurt, although they may need to apply some pressure in order to get the right pictures or gently squeeze your muscles so they can see the bloodflow. Don't worry about any sounds you hear — there will be a range of noises that are all part of the normal working of the procedure. The scanner will be sending sound waves into your body and creating a picture of your bloodflow from the signals it receives back.
Length
As with everything else, how long the scan takes will depend on the part of the body that is being scanned. Simple scans of a small area may be over in half an hour, but more complicated scans may require ninety minutes. Your technician will be able to tell you how long it should take at the start of the test and will let you know if it is likely to take longer as they go along.
Afterwards
The gel will be wiped off your skin. However, there is no need for any specific aftercare.
Vascular ultrasound is a painless procedure but is very valuable in diagnosing problems with your bloodflow. If you want to learn more about vascular ultrasounds, talk to your doctor.
Share30 June 2020
