CLINICAL VASCULAR LABORATORY

Diseases of arteries and veins are very common problems affecting both men and women, young and old alike. Having the ability to identify blood vessel and circulation problems in various parts of the body is the key toward prevention of unwanted consequences and unnecessary suffering.

What is the Clinical Vascular Laboratory?

The Clinical Vascular or Blood Flow Laboratory is a place where modern technologies and machines can painlessly examine the vascular (arteries and veins) system throughout the body in order to help diagnose disease and guide therapy, as well as monitor results of such therapy. Since these tests are non-invasive, they are performed without any needles, injections, pain or discomfort to patients. These tests may be done in an outpatient setting thus helping to cut down costs and increase patient comfort.

How do these tests help the patient?

These test results provide your doctor with an immense amount of very specific, accurate and reproducible information about your circulatory system. They help to prove or enhance a diagnosis made by your physician, and many times, guide your doctor in the next step to the treatment of your particular problems. Very frequently, the results from non-invasive test may keep your doctor from recommending more invasive tests, thereby saving you discomfort and uinnecessary risk.

What information will my doctor and myself receive?

The information obtained by these tests will indicate where blood vessels may be diseased, narrowed or totally closed. This is anatomical information. Also, data about how blood flows through the blood vessels, or physiological information is obtained and measured. Blood clots can be detected or ruled out by these tests as well Once surgery or other invasive intervention such as balloon angioplasty has been performed, there is no safer way to test the results than non-invasively. Particularly valuable, is when non-invasive tests performed before a procedure, are compared with results obtained from testing after the procedure.

Who administers these tests?

Certified technologists specialized in these non-invasive tests perform them with great skills. The raw data obtained from the tests are then assembled for specialized physicians to interpret the results. These results are very quickly sent to your physician by phone, fax, internet or mail.

What diseases are tested in the Vascular Laboratoy?

These diseases are many and are varied. Below is a list of most of them.

• blood flow of the legs and arms- arterial and venous
• blood flow to the brain -to help prevent strokes
• blood clot detection in the arms and legs
• circulation of the arteries to the kidneys
• circulation to the intestines
• circulation to the liver
• search for aneurysms (swelling of the arteries) plus accurate measurements
• circulation to the eye
• evaluate dialysis patients and their circulation

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION THE FOLLOWING IS SUGGESTED.

http://www.vascularlab@cedarsmed.com/vascular.htm

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