Vascular Scanning

Vascular surgeons may request a vascular scan to help diagnose and treat a vascular disease or disorder.

A vascular scan is performed to:

• check blood flow through arteries and veins to organs and tissues throughout your body
• locate and identify the build-up of plaque in arteries, called atherosclerosis, that can cause their narrowing and blockage
• establish if you have a bulging and weakened artery wall known as an aneurysm
• detect blood clots in major leg and arm veins, called deep venous thrombosis (DVT)
• appraise varicose veins
• screen arteries and veins for vascular disease
• decide if a patient is a good candidate for procedures such as angioplasty that opens arteries to let blood go through more easily
• assess the success of a blood vessel graft or bypass procedure.

Your doctor will refer you for a vascular scan if they notice any signs or symptoms of vascular diseases or disorders. These vary by vascular condition.

Symptoms of atherosclerosis include chest pain and pain in your arms and legs especially when exercising, and feeling short of breath, tired all the time, weak, and confused.

If you have an unruptured aneurysm, you may experience headaches, vision changes and an enlarged pupil, head numbness or tingling, pain above and behind your eye, and seizures.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) most often occurs in the leg but it can happen in the arm and stomach. If you have DVT, signs include throbbing pain typically in the calf or thigh of one leg when walking or standing up, swelling in one leg, warmness and red or darkened skin around the painful area, and swollen veins that are hard or sore to touch.

Many vascular conditions can be detected and evaluated using vascular scanning. These include:  

• Atherosclerosis – plaque build-up in arteries.
• Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) - narrowing of peripheral arteries outside the brain and heart. It restricts blood flow to the arms, kidneys, stomach, and most commonly, the legs.
• Carotid Artery Disease - narrowing of the main blood vessels, the carotid arteries in the neck, that supply blood to your brain.
• Aneurysms - abnormal bulges or ballooning in a weakened blood vessel wall.
• Varicose Veins – swollen, enlarged, and twisted veins, often in the legs.
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) - Blood clot (thrombus) in deep veins.
• Renal Artery Disease: Narrowing of arteries that supply the kidneys.

There are a variety of vascular scans that vascular surgeons use to diagnose and assess vascular conditions. These include:

• Vascular ultrasound - uses high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of veins and arteries throughout the body and the blood flow through them. It helps to detect blood vessel narrowing and blockages, blood clots, or other abnormalities in the vascular system. Vascular ultrasound can also find tumours and congenital vascular malformations. Ultrasound is non-invasive, safe, and painless.

The different types of ultrasounds include:

- Traditional ultrasound - sound waves bounce off blood vessels to create images. 
- Doppler ultrasound - sound waves reflect off moving body materials, such as blood. They create real-time images of blood flow through arteries and veins. 
- Duplex ultrasound: - combines traditional ultrasound with Doppler ultrasound to provide visual images and information about blood flow.

Specific vascular ultrasound scans include:

- Carotid ultrasound – also known as carotid Doppler ultrasound or carotid duplex ultrasound. This scan examines the two carotid arteries in the neck to assess blood flow and detect plaques or blockages. It helps evaluate the risk of stroke.
- Venous and arterial ultrasound - also known as venous/arterial duplex or Doppler ultrasound. It assesses blood flow and detects abnormalities in veins and arteries. Venous ultrasound identifies conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), venous insufficiency, and varicose veins. Arterial ultrasound evaluates conditions including atherosclerosis and aneurysms.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ultrasound - scans the main abdominal artery, called the aorta. It is used to diagnose and monitor abdominal aortic aneurysms, which are abnormal bulges or enlargements in the aorta.
- Peripheral arterial ultrasound - also known as a peripheral arterial duplex or Doppler ultrasound. It provides visual images and information about blood flow and is used to detect and see blockages, narrowing (peripheral arterial disease), or other abnormalities in the peripheral arteries.

• CT scan - combines X-ray images with computer technology to provide detailed images of the body, including bone, muscle, fat, and organs. It is often used for aneurysms when ultrasound evaluations are difficult or inconclusive.
• MRI scan – uses magnetic waves to provide detailed images of organs and structures within the body. It is often used to diagnose PAD.
• Angiography – involves injecting a contrast dye into the blood vessels to make them visible on X-ray or other imaging scanners. It detects and visualises blood vessel abnormalities, such as blockages, narrowing, and aneurysms. Angiography is used for more detailed imagin and interventional procedures when necessary. The types of angiography include:  
  - Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) – uses X-ray images and contrast dye. Digital technology subtracts images taken before the contrast injection from those taken after. It provides clearer and selective images of specific arteries or veins. Vascular surgery is often performed with DSA such as inserting a stent or clipping an aneurysm
  - Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) - uses magnetic fields and radio waves with contrast dye to create detailed blood vessel images. It is useful for imaging small arteries.
  - CT Angiography (CTA) - uses computed tomography and contrast dye to provide detailed images of blood vessels. A CTA exposes patients to radiation but it is faster than an MRA.

A vascular screening is a check-up for your arteries and veins to see if you have vascular disease. Not all vascular conditions have symptoms, so it’s advisable to screen and check that your blood vessels are healthy. If a problem is found it can be treated early.

During a vascular screening, a set of painless tests are carried out to check blood vessels and see if they have any signs of disease.

The following tests may be included in a vascular screening:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound – checks the abdominal aorta for a weak, bulging spot, called an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Untreated aneurysms can burst and cause life-threatening internal bleeding.
• Carotid artery ultrasound - checks the carotid arteries in your neck that carry blood to the brain and the blood flow rate through them to see if they are narrowed or have blockages. An untreated blocked carotid artery can cause a stroke.
• Ankle-brachial index (ABI) – compares blood pressure in the ankle and arm. Lower blood pressure in the ankles can suggest peripheral artery disease (PAD). Untreated PAD can cause pain, difficulty walking, and serious damage that may lead to limb loss.
• Venous screening – examines veins using ultrasound to check for blocked or clogged veins.

The costs of a vascular scan will depend on the exact type of scan you have and your Ramsay hospital of choice.

We have several finance options if you are paying for your vascular scanning yourself. These include:

• Interest-free finance - no deposit required and the option to make monthly instalments at 0% interest.
• All-inclusive Total Care - a one-off payment at a pre-agreed price.
• Pay as you go – a flexible funding option if your costs are difficult to assess or you want to pay for your costs as and when they arise.

Vascular scans are usually covered by most medical insurance policies unless they are for cosmetic reasons. We advise you to obtain written confirmation from your insurance company before having your vascular scan.

Vascular scans should be painless and don’t require any recovery time. Once the scan is finished you can leave straight away. Most people return to their normal daily routine after a vascular scan examination.

Ramsay Health Care offers state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging technology at our network of UK hospitals.

Our expert teams use the latest facilities and a comprehensive range of vascular scans including vascular ultrasound and angiography. They accurately evaluate and diagnose many vascular conditions including atherosclerosis, aneurysms, varicose veins, and deep vein thrombosis. If treatment is needed, it can be arranged seamlessly within your local Ramsay hospital.

We conveniently offer vascular screening to check your arteries and veins for vascular diseases as well as vascular scanning to diagnose symptoms. Appointments are available at times to suit you.