Vascular ultrasound uses waves to check the blood flow in the veins and arteries in your neck, arms, and legs. This imaging tool helps to identify problems in your circulatory system.
At Advanced Heart & Vascular Associates, Nader Chadda, MD, FACC, FSCAI, specializes in performing a range of vascular disease interventions. A vascular ultrasound is a painless, non-invasive diagnostic tool that gives our team valuable insights into how well your blood vessels are working.
Artery and vein problems, such as blood clots, narrowing, and blockages have serious health consequences, and vascular ultrasound helps to detect them. Conditions like atherosclerosis, in which plaque builds up on the artery walls, can restrict blood flow and lead to heart attacks and strokes.
As an endovascular intervention specialist, Dr. Chadda has extensive experience detecting and treating these types of threats to circulatory health.
When circulatory health is compromised, blood flow can slow down, and blood clots can form. The clots can move through the blood and get stuck, blocking blood flow — a dangerous situation. If blood clots travel to vital organs like the lungs, the result can be life-threatening.
A vascular ultrasound allows our team to see the size and location of a clot. Once a clot’s location is identified, Dr. Chadda determines the best treatment plan to prevent further complications.
Your organs and tissues rely on good circulation to stay healthy. Using vascular ultrasound, we can assess how well blood is flowing through your veins and arteries, detecting where circulation may be impaired.
Venous insufficiency, for example, occurs when blood doesn’t flow properly back to the heart, leading to symptoms like swelling, pain, and varicose veins. A vascular ultrasound can help determine if the valves in your veins are functioning like they should and if further treatment is needed to improve circulation.
If you’ve undergone vascular surgery or a procedure like angioplasty, a vascular ultrasound is helpful in monitoring your recovery. It can detect complications such as new blockages or blood clots, which is crucial for preventing the recurrence of vascular issues.
You may need a vascular ultrasound when you have a condition that reduces blood flow to your neck, arms or legs, such as:
Your provider may refer you for a vascular ultrasound when you have symptoms such as:
A vascular ultrasound is also performed when there is a suspected blood clot in areas such as the deep veins of the legs (deep vein thrombosis).
After a vascular ultrasound you can return to your normal activities. There’s no special preparation before or recovery period after a vascular ultrasound. For this and all other vascular intervention needs, contact us by calling or sending a message to our offices in Brooksville or Hudson, Florida.
