Venous ultrasounds work to view images of the body using sound waves. These ultrasound methods are commonly used to search for blood clots and map areas of the circulatory system to diagnose diseases and conditions. At our practice, our physicians focus on performing various ultrasound lab tests to visualize precisely how blood flows through the vessels and determine the type and extent of your vascular problems.
What Types of Ultrasound Do We Offer?
An ultrasound is a diagnostics tool that works with sonography or high-frequency sound waves to create a visualization of the structures inside the body, including the veins and lymphatic systems. Using it for the veins helps us visualize the blood vessels to diagnose and treat vascular diseases, such as venous insufficiency and deep vein thrombosis. Ultrasounds can also be used during certain procedures to ensure a proper treatment technique. Below we’ll provide a detailed guide on how these ultrasounds are performed.
Venous Ultrasound: One type of ultrasound is venous ultrasound, which allows us to visualize areas of the veins in real-time. These ultrasounds work through a guided needle or catheter placement with the help of sonography, which can help locate the site of the vein to avoid complications. Through this method, the veins are mapped out to locate narrow or blocked blood vessels and can be used to locate these veins during surgical procedures and treatments.
Doppler Ultrasound: Another type of ultrasound we perform is a Doppler ultrasound, also known as Doppler ultrasonography. This type of ultrasound provides an accurate view of the blood flow through the veins and arteries, including signs of narrowing vessels, reduced or absent blood flow, blood clots, and increased areas of blood flow that indicate infection.
Overall, these ultrasounds can be provided to help:
- Detect vascular problems
- Determine underlying causes of symptoms
- Diagnose blockages in arteries or veins
- Diagnose dialysis catheter blockages
- Map out veins and vessels for treatment
- Guide surgeons during surgery procedures
- Guide catheters or needles during procedures
- Use the information to diagnose vascular and lymphatic conditions.
Using ultrasounds, our physicians and vein specialists can diagnose conditions such as varicose veins, reticular veins, deep vein thrombosis, blocked lymph vessels, atherosclerosis, and chronic venous insufficiency, among other conditions.
How to Prepare for Your Ultrasound Sessions
During your ultrasound session, it’s important to wear relaxed, loose-fitted clothing, and there are no other special preparations for your ultrasound unless otherwise specified. During your ultrasound session, a transducer will be used to track high-frequency sound waves in the body to visualize areas of your body on the video monitor. Through tracking these areas, our computer consoles will create images based on loudness, pitch, and time it takes for the signals to return to the transducer. These high-frequency sound waves can measure specific areas of the body, such as the blood vessels, arteries, and lymph nodes, to check on your health. With the help of our team at Vein Center of North Texas, we can help keep you healthy for life.