Vascular Ultrasound: Screening for DVT, PAD, and Blood Clots

Vascular ultrasound uses sound waves to evaluate blood flow through your arteries and veins. It is one of the most important — and most underused — screening tools in medicine. At Advanced Medical Imaging, we perform vascular studies daily, helping physicians catch life-threatening conditions before they become emergencies.

What Is Vascular Ultrasound?

Also called a duplex ultrasound or Doppler study, vascular ultrasound combines traditional imaging (showing the structure of blood vessels) with Doppler technology (measuring the speed and direction of blood flow). The result is a real-time map of your circulatory system.

No radiation. No needles. No contrast dye. Just a technologist, a transducer, and some warm gel.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

DVT is a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg. It affects roughly approximately 900,000 Americans each year according to the CDC, and up to 100,000 die from complications — making it the third most common vascular disease after heart attack and stroke.

Symptoms of DVT - Swelling in one leg (rarely both) - Pain or tenderness, often in the calf - Warm skin over the affected area - Red or discolored skin

Why DVT Is Dangerous If a clot breaks free, it can travel to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism (PE) — a potentially fatal condition. Vascular ultrasound can detect DVT in minutes, allowing immediate treatment with blood thinners.

Who Should Be Screened? - Recent surgery or hospitalization - Prolonged immobility (long flights, bed rest) - Cancer patients - Women on birth control or hormone therapy - Family history of blood clots - Swelling or pain in one leg

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

PAD occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries of your legs, reducing blood flow. It affects an estimated 8.5 million Americans per NHLBI data and is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke — yet most people have never heard of it.

Symptoms of PAD - Leg pain or cramping when walking (claudication) - Numbness or weakness in the legs - Coldness in one foot compared to the other - Sores on toes or feet that heal slowly - Shiny skin or hair loss on the legs

The ABI Test We often combine vascular ultrasound with an ankle-brachial index (ABI) test described by the AHA (ABI) — a simple blood pressure comparison between your arm and ankle. An abnormal ABI strongly suggests PAD.

Who Should Be Screened? - Smokers (current or former) - Diabetics - Anyone over 65 - High blood pressure or high cholesterol - History of heart disease or stroke

Carotid Artery Screening

Carotid ultrasound examines the arteries in your neck that supply blood to your brain. Plaque buildup here is a leading cause of stroke. We covered this in detail in our carotid ultrasound article, but it remains one of our most requested vascular studies.

What to Expect

The exam typically takes 30-45 minutes. You lie on an exam table while the sonographer applies gel and moves a transducer over the area being studied. You may hear a "whooshing" sound — that is the Doppler measuring blood flow.

No preparation is usually needed for leg studies. For abdominal vascular exams, you may be asked to fast for 8-12 hours.

Vascular Ultrasound at AMI

We offer comprehensive vascular studies including: - Lower extremity venous (DVT screening) - Lower extremity arterial (PAD evaluation) - Carotid duplex (stroke risk) - Abdominal aorta (aneurysm screening) - Upper extremity venous and arterial

Results are interpreted by our board-certified radiologist and sent to your physician, typically within 48 hours. Stat reads are available for urgent cases.

Questions? Call us at (727) 398-5999 or request an appointment.