The Englewood Health vascular lab is accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories. The lab offers non-invasive diagnostics to determine if you have a condition affecting your arteries and veins.
The lab performs more than 8,000 procedures every year and is supervised by the vascular surgical service at Englewood Hospital. Same-day assessments are typically performed, allowing patients to start treatment sooner. Learn more about some of the vascular diagnostic tests offered below.
Abdominal Ultrasound
This imaging test examines abdominal organs, including blood vessels like the aorta. Using high-frequency sound waves, this test creates images that help your physician diagnose an abdominal aneurysm. It can also be used for ongoing monitoring if you have had an abdominal aneurysm repair procedure.
Ankle-Brachial Index
An ankle-brachial index (ABI) test compares the blood pressure in your ankle to the blood pressure in your arm. If blood pressure in your leg is lower, you may have peripheral artery disease (PAD), or reduced blood flow to the limbs.
Angiogram
During an angiogram, a doctor injects dye into your arteries. The dye shows up on a special X-ray camera and shows areas of slowed or blocked blood flow. A doctor can treat those areas during the test and help blood flow normally again.
Arterial Duplex Imaging
A duplex study shows your blood vessels and how blood moves through them (Doppler technology) by using sound waves and color images. By moving a small device called a transducer over your skin, this procedure lets doctors see plaque buildup, clots, and other blockages that can affect your blood flow.
Carotid Duplex Imaging
This test shows how blood flows in the two carotid arteries, the main neck arteries that carry blood to the brain. The test detects accumulation of plaque, blood clots, or other blood flow problems. Early detection of these problems — even before symptoms occur — can lead to treatments to prevent stroke.
Renal Artery Duplex Imaging
This test is used to look at the renal arteries — the main arteries to the kidneys — and how blood moves through them. The images can show narrowing of or blockages in the renal arteries that can cause hypertension. If left untreated, reduced blood flow to the kidneys can cause kidney failure.
Venous Ultrasound (Doppler) Evaluation
The test allows your doctor to see the direction and speed of blood flow of the veins in your legs or arms. Your physician uses images from this ultrasound test to diagnose and locate blood clots in deep and surface veins and to diagnose chronic venous insufficiency (the function of the veins) in your lower legs.
Venogram
Similar to an angiogram but dye (contrast) is injected into your veins usually in the pelvis and abdomen to look for any narrowing or abnormal blood flow.
Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS)
Usually done with the venogram test, intravascular ultrasound looks at blood vessels from the inside. A tiny ultrasound device is attached to a catheter. Like other catheter procedures, the catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in the groin, and the ultrasound device lets your doctor check for any narrowing. IVUS is the most accurate way of determining problem blood vessels n the pelvis and abdomen.