Venous Ultrasound Chicago

In the examination and diagnosis of your veins, we may employ the use of a venous ultrasound.  An ultrasound is a noninvasive procedure that takes real-time images of the inside of your body using sound waves. It is safe and painless.

Ultrasounds use sound waves to create images of the inside of your body. The first step will be to apply a gel to the area being examined in order to help high frequency sound waves enter the body. The gel will help the machine make contact with the body so that no air pockets are formed that might disrupt the imaging. Next, the examiner will take a small rounded probe and rub the gel on the skin around the area being examined. The probe will send the sound waves into the area being scanned. The sound waves that bounce back are collected by the machine and converted into a real-time image to help the examiner understand what is going on inside your body.

The gel that will be applied to your body will likely be warm. In the vast majority of cases, the only discomfort a patient may feel is a small amount of pressure from the transducer (the probe being rubbed on your body). Most patients do not experience any discomfort during an ultrasound. The sound waves do not emit ionizing radiation like x-rays, so don’t worry about being exposed to dangerous radiation. The sound waves are not painful or harmful to your body.

The reason venous ultrasound is used is to assess the status of your veins. They are used instead of x-rays because x-rays cannot see the same soft tissues that ultrasounds can capture. Many times, the reason venous ultrasounds are used are to look for blood clots, but we will also employ ultrasounds when looking at varicose veins to map them. Because the images produced are a real-time representation of what your veins look like, diagnoses and general assessments become much more accurate.

Expect up to 45 minutes for an examination; however, it will often take less time. You should also expect that you may be asked to remove clothing for the examination or possibly wear a gown. There is nothing that needs to be done prior to arriving at the appointment. The procedure is noninvasive, so you do not have to anticipate any sort of needles, injections, or anything being inserted into your body. You will be asked a series of questions to help the diagnostic process. The process will be private and behind closed doors.

If you have any additional questions about our use of ultrasounds in the diagnosis and treatment of varicose veins, feel free to contact Veins Without Surgery for more information.