Vascular Testing in Phoenix, Arizona

Vascular & Venous Testing

ABI- The ABI or Ankle Brachial Index is a test used to check for the presence of blockages in the peripheral arteries and provide verification that one has Peripheral Arterial Disease or PAD. The test compares blood pressure at your ankle with the blood pressure in your arm. The ABI is calculated by dividing the systolic blood pressure at the ankle by the systolic blood pressure in the arm.

Duplex Ultrasound

Combines traditional ultrasound sound waves, which bounce off items such as arteries and vessels to create a picture, and a doppler ultrasound which records sound waves from moving objects such as blood to measure how they are flowing through the vessel and its velocity or speed.

AAA Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

This study tells us if your aorta is becoming enlarged by measuring the abdominal aorta and the iliac arteries. An abdominal aorta over 3cm in diameter is considered aneurysmal. AAAs often have no symptoms; the mortality rate is high if they rupture.

• Reasons to have this test: If you have a family history of AAAs or are a male who is between 65-75 years old and has smoked at least 100 cigarettes in his lifetime.

Carotid

This study tells us how the blood flow is getting to your brain.  We look at the common carotid, external carotid, internal carotid, vertebral and subclavian arteries to see if there is any plaque that would be obstructing blood flow.

• Reasons to have this test:  If you are experiencing any dizziness, sudden vision changes, or weakness on one side or the other; if you have a history of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), stroke, or heart attack.

Graft/Stent Evaluation

This study looks at the flow in a graft/stent that has bypassed or stented an occluded or highly obstructed artery. Bypass grafts can be either a vein or a synthetic graft.

• Reason to have this test: If you have a bypass graft that might be showing signs of becoming occluded. Routine ultrasounds can identify these signs and hopefully prevent a problem.

Lower Extremity Venous

This study helps us to rule out deep vein thrombosis or incompetent veins. The veins in your legs have valves that help to push the blood back up to your heart; when these valves stop working blood can pool causing swelling and pain.

• Reasons to have this test: If you are experiencing any pain or swelling in your legs, visible varicose veins, or ulcers.

Mesenteric

This study tells us how the blood flow is getting to your intestines. We look at the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric, inferior mesenteric arteries, and abdominal aorta.

• Reasons to have this test: If you have increasing abdominal pain after eating, develop the fear of eating due to stomach pain, or experience extreme weight loss.

Peripheral Arterial

This study tells us how the blood is flowing down into your legs.  Atherosclerotic plaque can build up in your arteries restricting blood flow down to your feet causing pain after walking short distances.

• Reasons to have the test:  If after walking a short distance you start feeling pain or cramping in your buttocks, thighs, or calves; if you have a history of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking, ulcers, and/or non-healing wounds in your feet, ankles or toes.

Peripheral Venous

This study helps us to rule out deep vein thrombosis or incompetent veins.  The veins in your legs have valves that help to push the blood back up to your heart; when these valves stop working blood can pool causing swelling and pain.

• Reasons to have this test:  If you are experiencing any pain or swelling in your legs, visible varicose veins, or ulcers.

Pre-Dialysis Mapping

This study looks at your veins and arteries in the arm to see if and where you could have a permanent fistula placement.  We make sure all your veins are fully compressible and free from obstruction and are large enough to use as an arteriovenous fistula.  We also look at the arteries to makes sure they have normal blood flow and there are no obstructions.  If there are no adequate veins, a synthetic graft can be used to connect an artery and a vein to make a fistula.

• Reasons to have this test:  If you are in need of dialysis through a permanent fistula placement due to chronic kidney failure.

Renal

This study tells us how the blood flow is getting to your kidneys.  We look at the renal arteries, the flow within the kidney, and the abdominal aorta.

• Reasons to have this test: If you have uncontrollable high blood pressure, stents in your renal arteries, or a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Vein Mapping

This study looks at the superficial veins in your legs and possibly your arms to see if they can be used as an arterial bypass graft.  We make sure all of the veins are fully compressible and free from obstruction and are large enough to use as an arterial bypass graft.  If the vein is large enough then we use a permanent marker to map where the vein and its branches lay.  This makes it easier for the doctor when it comes time for surgery.

• Reasons to have this test:  If you are in need of an arterial bypass graft due to PAD.

Angiogram

Is a test used to evaluate blockages in the arterial system. Typically done while the patient is sedated, an angiogram uses x-ray imaging while injecting a contrast dye (iodine dye) into the arteries to give the surgeons a visual “road map” of your arterial and vein system. This “road map” allows them to see where blockages are located and can be used in live mode during the placement of a balloon or stent for accurate placement. This procedure can take anywhere from 15 min to 2 hours depending on the blockage and whether or not a corrective intervention will be done.

Computed tomography angiography or CTA

Non-invasive medical test which utilizes x-ray at different angles to produce images of the inside of the body and combines them into a cross-sectional study which can provide clarity for the physician interpretation. The CTA uses a contrast medium injected into the blood vessels along with the x-ray to show clear images of the vessels and areas that may be narrowed or where a patient may have an aneurysm.

MRA

Magnetic Resonance Angiography – a powerful magnetic field & radiofrequency waves are used to create a detailed image of the major arteries in the body without the use of ionizing radiation.

IVUS

Intravascular Ultrasound – a diagnostic test that utilizes sound waves placed within your artery via a catheter through the arteries to check for narrowing or hardening of the vessel walls. In many cases, the IVUS is used to see whether a stent has been collapsed and can pinpoint where this collapse and or narrowing is taking place. The IVUS is a unique tool for vascular surgeons and gives them a 3-dimensional look into the vein that can sometimes look satisfactory from the two- dimensional x-ray view where It is visible through IVUS.