Vascular Testing

Medical testing is used for screening or diagnostic purposes. A screening exam is a very limited evaluation that basically answers a yes/no question: Do I have it or not? It is not intended to answer the question: “How severe is it?” A diagnostic exam is intended to confirm or elaborate on a diagnosis and add to what the physician knows about a patient’s condition.

Vascular Diagnostic Exams

When a physician suspects a patient has a vascular disease, the diagnosis needs to be confirmed through diagnostic vascular testing. Testing is performed by a vascular technologist/sonographer. Different tests evaluate blood flow, perfusion (how efficiently the blood reaches tiny capillaries in organs and tissues), and the pressure within blood vessels—both at rest and during exercise. Vascular tests are used to detect the presence, severity, and general location of arterial disease. Some of these tests involve imaging and some do not. Most vascular tests are noninvasive and can be performed in a noninvasive vascular laboratory.

Learn more about what types of vascular tests are available at our MarinHealth testing locations.