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What is duplex ultrasound?
It is a diagnostic, painless, non-invasive test using sound waves to detect problems in the veins and arteries. There is no radiation or xray involved so ultrasound is a safe test that can be performed in the physician's office, by a registered vascular ultrasound technologist.
Duplex ultrasound shows the direction blood is flowing through your vessels and measures the speed of the flow of blood. It can also be useful to estimate the diameter of a blood vessel as well as the presence of blood clots or cholesterol narrowing in the blood vessel.
I have varicose veins. What will the ultrasound mapping show?
An ultrasound mapping takes about 45 minutes and is performed with the patient in a standing position. The technologist will scan the varicose veins in your legs, watching the direction of blood flow. A normal vein carries blood in one direction upward to the heart. If one or several valves in your leg veins are damaged, blood will temporarily flow downward. This is termed "reflux." Occasionally, the tech will ask you to perform a Valsalva maneuver in which you hold your breath. This can show the presence of early reflux. Throughout the examination, the tech will take snapshots of the ultrasound tracings to document that your veins are damaged.
This tracing exhibits reflux in a vessel because blue indicates blood flow in one direction and red indicates the opposite direction.
After the examination, your physician will review the findings with the vascular technologist and go over the results with you, making recommendations for treatment.
Duplex ultrasound is used to guide the physician when performing either of these treatments since the veins usually cannot be seen.
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