When your general doctor notices an issue, or you think there may be something wrong with your heart and vascular help, it’s time to look for a Dayton, OH vascular doctor. At Buckeye Heart and Vascular Institute, we provide an arterial duplex test to check on your arteries and see if there are any blockages.
When Should Arterial Duplex Testing Be Performed?
Checking on your arteries can often be done using ultrasound, used in arterial duplex testing. If you’re noticing things like skin discoloration, pain in your legs while resting, or are feeling tightness, tingling, and numbness in your limbs, something should be checked out. If there are any sores or ulcers that have developed, it can look at these too.
Your general doctor may also suggest it if they think you’re having a problem with your blood flow. Veins and arteries can be narrowed or blocked due to plaque buildup. If you have a vascular dialysis device, it can assess that and also the success of any procedures that have been done to restore blood flow to a certain area.
The Arterial Duplex Testing Process
Typically, you don’t have to undergo any special preparations before this procedure. Simply make sure that you’re dressed in comfortable clothing and eliminate jewelry. If you’re going to have an abdominal ultrasound, you may be instructed to stop eating and drinking after a certain time.
Testing usually takes about half an hour, depending on the area getting tested. The technician will spread the gel out onto the area that’s being tested. A transducer is run over the selected area to produce images of the arteries that need to be studied. You may be asked to move or breathe a certain way to help get the variety of images needed.
There are no side effects or anything you should experience after the ultrasound. Your Dayton, OH vascular doctor will analyze the results and determine if further action should be taken. They’ll talk to you about the possibilities of further testing or any other procedures they believe you should undergo.
What is a Duplex Ultrasound?
Duplex and doppler ultrasounds aren’t the same thing. Duplex ultrasounds are named that because both doppler and traditional ultrasound techniques are used. Traditional ultrasounds utilize sound waves that bounce off of your arteries and create pictures. Doppler ultrasounds record the sound waves bouncing off of all of your blood so we’re able to see how it’s flowing and the speed at which it’s flowing.
Arterial Duplex Testing at Your Vascular Doctor in Dayton, Ohio
Is arterial duplex testing something you may need? Call us or schedule an appointment online to get started.