This procedure uses an ultrasound machine to determine the cause of long-standing leg swelling.
Sonography can help locate the exact site of the vein and avoid complications, such as bleeding. It also helps map out the veins in the leg or arm so that pieces of vein may be removed and used to bypass a narrowed or blocked blood vessel. An example is using pieces of vein from the leg to surgically bypass narrowed heart (coronary) arteries.
In people with a common condition called varicose veins, the valves that keep blood flowing back to the heart in the right direction may be damaged, and venous ultrasound can help the radiologist decide how best to deal with this condition, aid in the placement of a needle or catheter into a vein.
What to Expect
How is this procedure done?
You will lay face-up on an exam table, then the technician will apply a warm water-based gel to the area that will be examined. The gel helps the transducer make secure contact with the skin.
Then the tech will move the transducer back and forth until the desired images are captured.
Is this test painful?
Usually no, unless the transducer is applied to a tender area.