Lower Extremity Venous Ultrasound
A lower extremity venous ultrasound is a vascular ultrasound that uses
ultrasound technology to create images of your blood vessels, such as
your veins. A venous ultrasound is primarily used to diagnose deep vein
thrombosis (DVT). One or both of your legs may be imaged by ultrasound;
it is dependent on what your doctor has ordered.
What to Bring
- Your physician order (your physician may have already sent this to us)
- Personal ID
- Insurance Card
How to Prepare
- You do not have to do anything special to prepare for a lower extremity
venous ultrasound.
- If you have a history of blood clots, you should inform the technologist.
- No risks are associated with a lower extremity venous ultrasound. Unlike
X-rays, radiation is not involved with this test.
What to Expect
- You may be asked to remove your pants and to wear a gown during your exam.
- The room is usually dark so the images can be seen clearly on the computer screen.
- During the exam you will be asked to lie on a table.
- An ultrasound technologist will spread a clear, warm gel on your leg starting
at the groin continuing through to your calf. This gel is required to
help with the transmission of sound waves through a small wand (transducer).
The transducer emits high-frequency sound waves and a computer measures
how the sound waves bounce back from inside the body. The computer changes
those sound waves into images to be analyzed.
- The technologist will need to apply pressure throughout your leg to ensure
that there is no evidence of a blood clot.
- Please allow 45 minutes from registration to completion of test.
Getting the Results
A radiologist (a doctor who is specially trained in reading and interpreting
diagnostic and ultrasound images) will interpret the ultrasound results
and send the information to your provider.