Carotid & Vertebral Arteries Vascular Ultrasound

What is a Vascular Ultrasound?

Ultrasound is a non-invasive test that helps your doctor diagnose and treat your medical problem. By using very high frequency sound waves the ultrasound machine can form images of the inside of your body. For vascular ultrasound this involves creating images of the blood vessels within your body.

Why would I need a vascular ultrasound?

You may need to have a Vascular Ultrasound of your carotid & vertebral arteries because you have suffered from a mini stroke or your Doctor feels that you may have symptoms that are associated with the arteries in your neck that feed blood to your brain and eyes.

Is there any preparation I need to undertake before my vascular ultrasound?

There is no preparation necessary for your vascular ultrasound - you just need to turn up to your appointment.

What clothes do I need to remove?

As long as we can get good clear access to your neck then you should not have to remove any clothes off other than your coat or jumper.

What are you looking for and what happens during the scan?

When we undertake a vascular ultrasound of your carotid and vertebral arteries, we are looking for any narrowing or blockage that may have built up in the blood vessels in the neck. The sonographer will ask you to lie down and then turn your head slightly to allow a good view of the neck.

How long will the vascular ultrasound take?

A Vascular Ultrasound takes around 15 to 30 minutes to perform.