Assessment: Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a non-invasive and painless test used to determine the cause of your varicose veins. It helps us get a full and accurate 'map' of them; and helps guide, plan, and monitor whatever treatment your vascular surgeon recommends

These scans also allow our vascular scientists to check for any signs of clotting (Deep Vein Thrombosis or other abnormalities in your deep veins. This same technology is used during sclerotherapy as well, to guide the operation

We follow best practice in conducting a full duplex ultrasound during your first varicose vein consultation and during the follow-up appointment, when we will check that veins we have treated are fully closed

‘Duplex’ here means that we combine two different sound-imaging techniques (Doppler and B-mode) to get the fullest possible image of the vein. This technology gives us a live image of any enlarged vein (so we can map in detail how they are laid out) and means we can also assess the direction and speed of the blood moving through it

What To Expect

All our duplex ultrasound scans are conducted by accredited clinical vascular scientists with decades of experience in diagnosing vascular disorders

The procedure is performed with you standing, as this helps the veins become more visible. Once in the scan room at our London varicose vein treatment clinic, you'll be asked to remove your shoes, your trousers or skirt, and any socks or tights. Your vascular scientist will apply a cool gel to the legs before running an ultrasound wand over them, from the groin to the ankle

It's a painless process, but your vascular scientist will need to apply some pressure to your calf muscles to observe how the veins respond when this pressure is released

Discuss your treatment options with a specialist advisor today.