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Tests
for Veins
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Duplex
Ultrasound
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Duplex Report (this page)
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Duplex in Normal Veins
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Duplex in Abnormal Veins
Duplex Ultrasound Report - and how it is used:
When our expert vascular technologists scan
a patients veins, they write a report. An early example of the report is
shown below. As things have improved over the last few years, our
technologists also now add information as to the size of the veins, the
tortuosity and which of the many techniques of treatment that we have
available are suitable for each vein.
(Click on this picture if you wish to see an
example of such a report).
On this report:
O - Means that the vein is open, the flow of blood is normal and there is
no backward flow (no reflux of blood) - Therefore the VALVES ARE WORKING.
X - Means that the vein is open but the blood is being allowed to flow the
wrong way through the vein (reflux of blood) - Therefore the VALVES ARE
NOT WORKING.
It is the ability to know which veins have abnormal valves and where those
veins are in the leg that allows the surgeon to plan accurate surgery.
Without this information, any surgery undertaken involves guess-work and
can lead to the wrong vein being treated, or the faulty vein being
left behind.
It is for this reason that at The Whiteley Clinic, no patient has surgery
to their veins without a Duplex Ultrasound examination to plan the surgery
and without Duplex Ultrasound being available in the operating surgery.
As explained before, although things are changing, some surgeons feel happy to
operate on varicose veins without this test. However, without a doubt,
following such a practice will mean that some patients will get the wrong
operation for their venous problem and will be more likely to get
recurrent venous problems in the future.
Anyone consenting for varicose veins surgery
should check:
- They have a duplex ultrasound
performed pre-operatively to help plan their surgery
- They have Duplex ultrasound available
in theatre to check the correct veins being treated adequately
- They are having EVLA or
Radiofrequency ablation NOT STRIPPING (see
www.veins-stripping.co.uk)
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