An initial venous duplex ultrasound scan is often performed before your first visit to the Vein & Laser Centre to determine whether there are any veins hidden under the surface of the skin. If present, treatment of these hidden veins is usually necessary to give a better result with the veins that are seen on the surface.
A Duplex Scan is an Ultrasound Scan performed by a highly trained Vascular Sonographer, which takes approximately half hour per leg examined.
Patients may have had ultrasound scans before but in some cases we may need to repeat the scan to obtain the detailed information needed for your treatment. Usually, this “venous mapping” test cannot be performed on the same day as the initial consult, but it is necessary prior to undergoing most forms of treatment. However, every effort is also made to accommodate those who may be travelling long distances to attend the clinic.
Many of the procedures performed at the VLC require the use of ultrasound.
The Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy (UGS) procedure is performed using ultrasound technology to locate the hidden abnormal veins and allow the doctor to accurately inject the veins.
During Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) the ultrasound is used to guide the injection of local anaesthetic around the vein to collapse it onto the laser fibre, to position the laser fibre correctly as well as during the UGS that usually follows the laser procedure.
After EVLA, patients undergo a routine venous scan after a few days to ensure there are no complications.
One month after both EVLA and UGS, venous scans are performed to determine the success of the treatment and to allow the doctor to find and treat any remaining veins under ultrasound.
