Carotids

Diseases of the arteries feeding blood to the brain can present in a variety of ways. Some patients have no symptoms, but are found to have a noise over the neck arteries while others can present with a transient stroke called a TIA.

You may be asked by your doctor to have a carotid duplex ultrasound to evaluate these arteries. This painless study is non-invasive and does not require any special preparation such as fasting or holding your medicine.

What to expect:

• During the test, a skilled technician will use a small transducer and water-soluble gel to examine the arteries on both sides of your neck. This examination takes less than an hour to complete and images are recorded for later review by a physician. There is no special recovery afterward.
• Depending on the results of this test, you may go on to a CT or MRA scan. Some patients may even require an invasive procedure.