Non-invasive vascular imaging

Duplex scan of carotid arteries

Development of non-invasive imaging

In the early days of vascular surgery it was difficult to obtain accurate pictures of blood vessels before operating. The main technique used was angiography where needles and catheters (fine tubes) had to be inserted into the blood vessels and dye injected to make them show up on X-ray. These techniques have now been replaced by non-invasive methods which allow very accurate images to be obtained without inserting needles into arteries.

Duplex (doppler ultrasound) scanning

Duplex scanning

Duplex scanning is a combination of doppler and ultrasound. It gives details of the size and shape of a blood vessel, and measures how fast blood is moving through it. It is usually performed in the vascular clinic. The scanner moves over the skin lubricated with jelly and is painless. Simple scans take about 5 minutes. More detailed scans (e.g. of arteries in the legs) take up to an hour. Duplex scanning is a highly specialised process and requires highly skilled vascular scientists to produce accurate images.

3D CT image of an aortic aneurysm

CT scanning

CT scanning in its early forms produced cross-sectional pictures of the body. Modern CT scanners are very fast and can take multiple pictures in a few seconds. These can then be reconstructed using software to produce three dimensional images of blood vessels. This is invaluable when planning procedures to repair abnormal blood vessels.

3D MRI scan of brain

Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography

MRI and MRA are other ways of obtaining detailed pictures of internal organs and blood vessels. They are especially good for imaging the brain and arteries supplying the brain.

MRI scan of abdominal blood vessels

MRI can be used to image any part of the body. It is especially useful in the assessment of vascular malformations as described in the Conditions Treated, Prevented and Cured section of the website.

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