Abdominal Vascular Ultrasound
What is Abdominal Vascular Ultrasound?
Abdominal Vascular Ultrasound is a test that enables physicians to diagnose the cause of your stomach pain or bloating. It is an ultrasound test that helps see the blood flow of the arteries and veins in your abdomen and detect any bulging or weakened spot in the abdominal aorta (the blood vessel that supplies blood to the body).
With a hand-held device called the transducer and gel, high-frequency sound waves can travel into your body and bounce back to create images of the blood flowing through the blood vessels. This method is used to screen an abdominal aortic aneurysm or check for other abdomen conditions. It is recommended mainly to men aged 65 to 75 with a history of smoking.
The abdominal vascular ultrasound test uses the transducer to send the sound waves that then echo off, enabling the doctor to see the size of the organs, blood flow, tissues, and abnormal masses.
Why is an Abdominal Vascular Ultrasound performed?
Physicians may recommend an Abdominal Vascular Ultrasound to check for any abnormal flow in the abdominal aorta and see the functioning of the gallbladder, intestines, kidney, liver, spleen, and pancreas. The test is performed to evaluate:
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Blockage and abnormality in the blood flow
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Tumor or vascular malformation
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Reduced or increased blood vessel
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Patient's health before procedures like angioplasty
What are the risks involved in the test?
Abdominal vascular ultrasound is a safe and painless procedure. There are no risks involved, and it will be over within 30 minutes. There can be temporary discomfort if the physician presses on a possibly sore area, but there are no risks.
What are the preparations necessary for the test?
Prior to the abdominal vascular ultrasound test, there are some minimal preparations that you must keep in mind. They are as follows:
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Do not eat or drink for 8 hours before the exam.
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Take medication only with your physician's approval
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Remove jewelry and clothing in the area of examination
