Vascular ultrasound provides pictures of the body’s veins and arteries.

A Doppler ultrasound study is usually part of a vascular ultrasound examination.

Vascular ultrasound is performed to:

• help monitor the blood flow to organs and tissues throughout the body
• locate and identify blockages (stenosis) and abnormalities like plaque or emboli and help plan for their effective treatment
• detect blood clots (deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in the major veins of the legs or arms
• determine whether a patient is a good candidate for a procedure such as angioplasty
• evaluate the success of procedures that graft or bypass blood vessels
• determine if there is an enlarged artery (aneurysm)
• determine the source and severity of varicose veins