Vascular Care Center of Salt Lake Vascular Lab. Varicose Veins

In the evaluation of your varicose veins and spider veins, or in the evaluation of your leg pain, restless legs or venous ulcers, an ultrasound examination is absolutely critical for the correct diagnosis and for planning treatment. It is done with sound waves and is painless and quick.

We have a large, comfortable room where we perform ultrasound examinations that are so important to the diagnosis and treatment of varicose veins and spider veins. Our equipment is top-notch, "state of the art" equipment and our ultrasound technician is trained, experienced, thorough, pleasant and kind.

Most patients will receive an ultrasound evaluation to determine the functioning of the valves of the main trunks of the superficial system, the size of the main trunks of the superficial system, the presence or (hopefully) absence of clot in the deep veins of the legs and the functioning of the valves in the deep veins of the legs.

The keys to a good ultrasound exam are the experience of the technician and the quality of the equipment. We have one of the most experienced ultrasound technicians in Salt Lake City and absolutely the best equipment available today.

Here is what happens in an ultrasound examination of the veins of the legs:

1. The patient puts on paper shorts so that we can do a thorough examination of the entire leg including the groin area and not have the patient worry about getting ultrasound conducting jelly on their clothes. You will leave your underwear on. If you wear garments, you may have to remove them so that the technologist has access to the veins in the groin.

2. You will lie down on a comfortable exam stretcher.

3. The ultrasound technician will dim the room lights to allow good visualization of the imaging screen.

4. The technician applies lots of ultrasonic jelly to help transmit ultrasound signals into the legs and get them back for evaluation of the echoes.

The technician then places the probe on the skin of your leg and will ask you to take deep breaths, exhale and to “bear down” or “push”. This requires you to strain like you are trying to have a bowel movement. It will raise the pressure in the veins of your legs a little and allow us to evaluate the functioning on the valves.