What Does a Carotid Doppler Look For?
You have two largecarotid arteriesin your neck that supply blood to the brain.
A Doppler, or ultrasound, uses sound wave imaging technology to monitor these arteries.
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Avoid necklaces and/or earrings; your healthcare provider will likely ask you to remove them.
There are few restrictions or instructions on preparing for a carotid Doppler test.
After the images are captured, you will be given towels to help wipe off the lubricant.
you could then get dressed and leave the testing room.
The results should be available within a few days at most.
These results will be shared with you in person or during a telehealth appointment.
A Doppler scan measures the flow of blood.
Repeat scans may also be used to compare earlier and later readings to see if treatment is working.
Depending on your Doppler results, your healthcare provider may also recommend other tests.
However, they can offer important details when the results of a carotid doppler are unclear.
These may include:
If you have severe plaque buildup, your healthcare provider may recommend acarotidendarterectomy.
This is a surgical procedure to remove plaque from the carotid artery.
Summary
A Doppler carotid test is a non-invasive way to check your cardiovascular health.
Kim GH, Youn HJ.Is carotid artery ultrasound still useful method for evaluation of atherosclerosis?.Korean Circ J.
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Johns Hopkins Medical Center:Carotid artery Duplex Scan
