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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.

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