WHAT IS A LOWER EXTREMITY VENOUS DUPLEX?
Lower extremity venous duplex scan is a painless exam that
uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to capture images
of internal veins that return blood to the heart. During an upper
extremity venous duplex scan, the veins in your
neck, shoulders, arms, and wrists are viewed. During a lower extremity
venous duplex scan, the veins in the legs and ankles are viewed.
A special jelly is placed on the area being examined while a wand-like
device called a transducer is passed lightly over the skin over the vein.
Internal images of the veins are shown on a screen, recorded as a video
or printed as a photo.
A Doppler ultrasound may also be performed to capture images of the
movement of blood through your veins. This test helps to determine how
the blood is flowing through your veins.
Venous duplex scans can show blood clots in leg veins and evaluate
for abnormal veins causing varicose veins.