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Doppler
A Doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive test that can be used to estimate the blood flow through your blood vessels by bouncing high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) off circulating red blood cells. A regular ultrasound uses sound waves to produce images, but can’t show blood flow.
List of Tests
- Doppler 1 Limb – Artery or Vein
- Doppler 1 Limb – Artery & Vein
- Colour Doppler Renal Arteries
- Carotid Doppler
- Doppler 2 Limbs – Artery or Vein
- Doppler 2 Limbs – Artery & Vein
A Doppler Ultrasound may help diagnose these conditions
- Blood clots
- Poorly functioning valves in your leg veins, which can cause blood or other fluids to pool in your legs (venous insufficiency)
- Heart valve defects and congenital heart disease
- A blocked artery (arterial occlusion)
- Decreased blood circulation into your legs (peripheral artery disease)
- Bulging arteries (aneurysms)
- Narrowing of an artery, such as in your neck (carotid artery stenosis)
Different Types of Doppler Tests
- Color Doppler.This type of Doppler uses a computer to change sound waves into different colors. These colors show the speed and direction of blood flow in real time.
- Power Doppler, a newer type of color Doppler. It can provide more detail of blood flow than standard color Doppler. But it cannot show the direction of blood flow, which can be important in some cases.
- Spectral Doppler.This test shows blood flow information on a graph, rather than color pictures. It can help show how much of a blood vessel is blocked.
- Duplex Doppler.This test uses standard ultrasound to take images of blood vessels and organs. Then a computer turns the images into a graph, as in spectral Doppler.
- Continuous wave Doppler.In this test, sound waves are sent and received continuously. It allows for more accurate measurement of blood that flows at faster speeds.
Are there any risks to the test?
There are no known risks to having a Doppler ultrasound. It is also considered safe during pregnancy.
What do the results mean?
If your results were not normal, it may mean you have:
- A blockage or clotting an artery
- Narrowed blood vessels
- Abnormal blood flow
- An aneurysm, a balloon-like bulge in the arteries. It causes the arteries to become stretched and thin. If the wall becomes too thin, the artery can rupture, causing life-threatening bleeding.
Results may also show if there is abnormal blood flow in an unborn baby.
The meaning of your results will depend what area of the body was being tested.
If you want to have more information speak to your physician or call our helpline number.