Varicose veins that arise in the groin/upper thigh can be an indication of a problem with the veins in the abdomen. Pelvic congestion syndrome can also be as a result of poorly functioning veins in the abdomen and pelvic region.Varicose veins that arise in the groin/upper thigh can be an indication of a problem with the veins in the abdomen. Pelvic congestion syndrome can also be as a result of poorly functioning veins in the abdomen and pelvic region.
The abdominal venous ultrasound scan will involve checking the renal vein, inferior vena cava, common/internal and external iliac veins as well as the gonadal (ovarian) veins. We will use b-mode, colour and pulsed wave doppler to check the veins for signs of incompetence/reflux (blood flow in the wrong direction). We also check to see if there are any signs of possible compression syndromes such as May-Thurner or renal nutcracker.
This is an external scan only. When you book this scan you will be asked to fast (not eat or drink) for 4 hours prior to your appointment time. Take all of your medication as normal. If you are a diabetic or need medication that needs to be atken with food then please eat normally. Arrive 5 minutes before your appointment time to allow any paperwork to be completed. Please use the toilet in this time prior to your scan. Once you have been called into the ultrasound room you may need to remove some clothing. The sonographer will ask you to lift all your clothing off your abdomen up to the level of your ribs. You will also need to lower your trousers/underwear slightly onto your hips. Once you are ready the sonographer will instruct you to lie on your back on the couch. The gel will be cold and the ultrasound probe will be pressed firmly on your tummy area. Normally your sonographer will ask you to keep your arms to your sides and to try and relax your tummy and not “push back” at the ultrasound probe. The scan can be a bit uncomfortable although this depends on how much gas you have in your abdomen at the time of the scan. Typically a scan of the abdominal veins will take between 15-30 minutes.
The sonographer will check through the images and produce a worksheet with the relevant information which is then rechecked by the vascular surgeon. If you are seeing one of our specialists on the same day as the scan then they will be able to give the result immediately. Otherwise your report will be sent back to the referrer within a day or two. You can contact the referer to arrange a time to discuss the results. If the sonographer identifies any urgent problems then they will discuss it with our vascular specialists and your referrer immediately and let you know if you need to do anything further.
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