Studies we perform

Abdominal ultrasound (30 minute exam)
(4 hour fasting required)

To prepare for this exam 4 hours of no food or drinks is required. An abdominal ultrasound is a risk-free noninvasive 30 minute imaging exam which is used to assess the organs and structures within the abdomen. This includes the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile ducts, kidneys, spleen, and abdominal aorta. Symptoms or conditions that may require an abdominal ultrasound include: stomach pain or bloating, kidney stones, abdominal aortic aneurysm, altered liver function, an enlarged organ (such as the liver or spleen), gallbladder disease, cancer, and much more.

Bladder Ultrasound (15 minute exam)
(Full bladder required)

To prepare for this exam for both male and female patients, drinking 32 ounces of water one hour before the exam is required. Doctors order bladder ultrasounds when there’s a concern about bladder problems, such as difficulty urinating or daytime wetting. A bladder ultrasound can show how much urine the bladder holds when it’s full and whether someone completely empties the bladder when urinating.The bladder is an organ made of smooth muscle. It stores urine until it’s released when you go to the bathroom. The most common reason for bladder ultrasound is to check bladder draining. The urine that remains in the bladder after urinating (“post void residual”) is measured. If urine remains, there can be a problem such as: enlarged prostate, urethral stricture (narrowing), and bladder dysfunction.

Echocardiogram with Color Flow and Doppler

An echocardiogram is a 30-45-minute painless test using ultrasound waves to produce images of the heart. This study looks at blood flow through the heart chambers, heart valves, and blood vessels.  An echocardiogram allows visualization of cardiac structures, cardiac walls and the velocity of blood flow at certain points in the heart. This test will give diagnostic results to your doctor about your heart function and if any heart disease is present.

Carotid Duplex

A carotid duplex scan is a simple 20-minute test that uses ultrasound waves to produce images of the carotid arteries that supply blood directly to the brain and face. This scan can detect plaque, blood clots, or abnormalities in your arteries that could possibly cause a stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Heart Smart IMT- Advanced Carotid Ultrasound

The Heart Smart IMT test is an ultrasound scan of the carotid arteries used to measure the intima-media-thickness to detect atherosclerosis at its earliest stages.  In addition to IMT measurement, our unique post-image analysis allows Heart Smart IMT to assess the presence and severity of plaques in the carotid arteries, and assess the vulnerability of the plaque to rupture that can result in a heart attack or stroke.  The results are then compared to our proprietary database of more than 40,000 patients, which provides an accurate and reliable assessment of the patient’s cardiovascular health compared to the patient’s peer group based on age and gender.

IMT testing is endorsed by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Echocardiography as a proven technique for the early detection of cardiovascular disease. It has also been recommended by the SHAPE Task Force for all men over the age of 45 and women over 55.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)

n abdominal aortic aneurysm is present in 2-13% of men and 6% of women over the age of 60. This is a 15-minute test that uses ultrasound to detect an aneurysm in the aortic wall. This can happen when atherosclerosis or plaque builds up and causes the walls of the abdominal aorta to become weak and bulge or burst (life-threatening). Fasting for 4 hours before exam is recommended.

Venous Duplex

Venous duplex scan is a painless exam that uses ultrasound to capture images of the veins that return blood to the heart. During a lower extremity venous duplex scan, the veins in the legs and ankles are viewed. This scan 30-minute test can show blood clots in leg veins and evaluate for abnormal veins causing varicose veins.
2 Clinical Protocols:

• Venous Insufficiency
  This test is used to determine if there are any problems within vessels which may result in varicose veins, pain, and swelling.

• Venous DVT
  Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually legs. This can cause leg pain or swelling, but may occur without any symptoms. It is a serious condition because blood clots in your veins can break loose, travel to your lungs, and block blood flow causing a pulmonary embolism.

Arterial (Lower Extremity)

This 30-minute arterial test uses ultrasound waves to produce images showing blocked or reduced blood flow through the major arteries of your legs. Symptoms include numbness and tingling sensations in your feet and legs and/ or a feeling of fatigue and heaviness in legs. Peripheral arterial disease, PAD, is a common circulatory problem in which atherosclerosis narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to your limbs, heart, and brain.

Thyroid ultrasound

Thyroid ultrasound, a 30-minute test, is commonly used to evaluate lumps or nodules found during a routine physical. An ultrasound of the thyroid produces pictures of the thyroid gland which is located in the front of the neck just above the collar bones and is shaped like a butterfly, with one lobe on either side of the neck connected by a narrow band of tissue.  It is common for patchy areas or nodules to develop in the thyroid that may or may not be felt on the surface of the skin.  About 5 to 10% of adults will have lumps in their thyroid that a doctor can identify on an exam.  These are called palpable nodules.  Ultrasound is very sensitive and shows many nodules that cannot be felt.  In some age groups, nodules are seen on ultrasound in as many as 70% of adults.  The vast majority of these are benign regions of thyroid tissue that pose no health risk.  The minority of these are true tumors of the thyroid and may require further diagnosis or treatment.