Healthy circulation is vital to your overall well-being. A vascular ultrasound—sometimes called a duplex study—is a safe, painless and noninvasive test used to evaluate how blood flows through the arteries and veins in your neck, arms and legs.
By utilizing high-frequency sound waves rather than radiation, this advanced imaging technology creates clear, real-time digital images of your blood vessels and surrounding soft tissues.
This gentle, highly detailed imaging test helps our specialists identify and manage a variety of vascular conditions, including:
Your health care provider may recommend a vascular ultrasound if you are experiencing symptoms of poor circulation, such as muscle weakness, pain, cramping or burning in your limbs, or persistent sores on your legs that are slow to heal.
Mapping Your Path to Recovery
In addition to diagnosing conditions, vascular ultrasounds are highly effective tools for procedural planning. Your specialist may use this imaging to map out the precise pathway of your blood vessels before performing specialized procedures, such as:
Following a bypass surgery or an organ transplant, our care teams also utilize vascular ultrasound to monitor your recovery, confirm healthy blood flow and evaluate the long-term success of your procedure.
A vascular ultrasound offers a painless, radiation-free way for your care team to view your circulatory system in real time. Because the test uses sound waves instead of contrast dyes or radiation, it tends to be safer and more comfortable while requiring no downtime.
This routine test typically requires no advance preparation.
When you arrive, you will be invited to lie down on an exam table. An ultrasound technologist will apply a warm, water-based gel to the area of your skin being evaluated. The technologist will then gently glide a small, handheld device called a transducer over the gel.
The transducer sends silent sound waves into your body, which bounce back to create high-definition images on a computer screen. You may hear rhythmic whooshing sounds during the test—this is simply the ultrasound machine translating the sound of your blood flow into an audible signal. Once the exam is complete, our affiliated specialists will carefully review the digital images to guide your care.
Typically, there is no recovery period or downtime required after a vascular ultrasound. You can leave our clinic and resume your normal daily activities after the test is completed.
Because a vascular ultrasound relies entirely on safe sound waves rather than radiation, there are no major known risks or side effects. The procedure is entirely noninvasive and painless.
At Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular, we combine advanced imaging technology with a compassionate, patient-centered approach to help keep your heart and vascular system healthy. Our affiliated specialists use state-of-the-art vascular ultrasound to diagnose conditions, meticulously plan complex procedures and carefully monitor your healing journey. By gathering vital, real-time insights into your circulation, we work to support your recovery and design personalized treatment plans that help you return to your normal routine.
If you’d like a referral to a heart and vascular specialist or want more information about our services, please fill out the form below. For other inquiries, such as obtaining medical records, imaging reports or test results, please call (713) 222-CARE (2273).