Our vascular and endovascular services manage and treat conditions involving arteries and veins.
The Vascular Assessment Unit (VAU) team diagnose various disorders related to blood flow, including Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and arterial narrowing.
Investigations that we perform include;
- Ultrasound assessment of arteries and veins
- Ankle-brachial pressure index assessments (ABPI’s) measuring the blood pressure in your arms and legs
The unit is supported by five Vascular Scientists, two clerical staff, a vascular assistant, a nurse specialist and a nurse practitioner.
Our Vascular and Endovascular surgery team carry out procedures including:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery: open surgery and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR)
- Carotid surgery
- Arterial bypass Surgery
- Venous surgery
For patients with significant arterial, aortic or venous disease, operations will be carried out at Southampton General Hospital as the dedicated major arterial centre for the south.
Pre-operative care and follow-up appointments will be at Queen Alexandra Hospital. We also have outpatient clinics held in Fareham, Gosport, and Havant.
During a vascular assessment you will lie on a couch (some scan types require you to stand) and gel will be put on the skin over the area of your body to be examined.
An ultrasound probe will be moved along your skin to allow assessment of the main blood vessels. The test is painless but sometimes a little pressure is used to obtain clear images of the vessels.
The tests usually take 10-60 minutes depending on which parts of the body are examined.
Who will perform the investigation?
The investigations are performed by a supervised vascular scientist who is accredited by The Society of Vascular Technology of Great Britain and Ireland (http://www.svtgbi.org.uk/) or by a supervised clinical scientist who is working towards this qualification.
How do I prepare for my scan?
No preparation is needed for a scan. You may eat, drink and take your medication as usual.
You may be asked to partially undress to allow us to scan the area of interest. You will not be asked to remove your underwear, but loose-fitting clothing may make it easier to disrobe or expose the relevant areas more easily. A relative/friend can accompany you if you wish.
Mobile phones, hearing aids, pacemakers, spectacles and jewellery do not interfere with the tests.
There are no known side-effects or complications of vascular ultrasound scans or ABPI’s.
Dressings - important information:
Although we will make every effort to remove dressings minimally, sometimes it is necessary to remove the majority of dressings in order to complete the scan. There is not always a nurse present in the vascular assessment unit to dress wounds or re-apply dressings that are removed for a scan. Therefore, we advise you to arrange for your dressings to be changed in the usual way as soon as possible following the scan i.e. by your GP or district nurse.
What about my test results?
Depending on the urgency of your test, you will either take the results with you to see a doctor/nurse in the hospital or we will send your results to the consultant that requested your scan on the next working day (or sooner). The consultant will then contact you to discuss the results and possibly arrange a further out-patient appointment.
Why are you having this test?
This is an ultrasound scan to look at the arteries that supply blood to your legs. Depending on the stent or graft you have it may involve scanning your leg, abdomen (tummy) or both. You will normally have a scan early on once the graft/stent has been inserted and then at increasing intervals provided the scan results are ok.
What does the test involve?
You will be shown into one of our scanning rooms and you will be asked to partially undress so that we can scan your leg and/or abdomen (tummy). During the scan you will be lying on the couch. Ultrasound gel will be applied to your leg and a probe will be moved along your skin. The scan normally takes between 30-45 minutes. At the end of the scan, the scientist performing the scan can let you if anything has changed since your last scan, it might be you are referred for another type of imaging.
Why are you having this test?
This is an ultrasound scan to look at the main arteries in your neck which supply blood to your brain. This test has been arranged because your doctor or nurse suspects you may have had a mini-stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or a stroke. You may recently have had symptoms such as:
• Weakness or numbness down one of your arms or legs (normally down one side of your body)
• Drooping of your lip or face
• Speech difficulties (slurring or speech that doesn’t make sense)
• Problems with your vision
What does the test involve?
You will be shown into one of our scanning rooms. During the scan you will be asked to lie on a couch. Ultrasound gel will be applied to both sides of your neck and a probe will be moved along your skin. The scan normally takes 10-15 minutes. At the end of the scan, you will be normally be reviewed in another department/TIA clinic with the results of the scan.
Why are you having this test?
This is an ultrasound scan to look at the arteries in your abdomen that supply blood to each of your legs. This scan has been arranged because your arteries were aneurysmal (larger than normal) and you have stents inserted into the arteries to stop the aneurysm from growing further. You will normally have an annual scan to check that:
• the stents are working properly (excluding the aneurysm to prevent it from growing) and
• that no other complications have occurred from the EVAR
What does the test involve?
You will be shown into one of our scanning rooms and you will be asked to partially undress so that we can scan your abdomen. During the scan you will be lying on the couch. Ultrasound gel will be applied to your tummy and a probe will be moved along your skin. The scientist performing your scan may need to apply slight pressure to get clear views which shouldn’t be painful. The scan normally takes around 20-30 minutes. At the end of the scan, the scientist performing the scan can let you if anything has changed since your last scan, it might be you are referred for another type of imaging.
Why are you having this test?
This is an ultrasound scan to look at the main arteries which supply blood to your leg and foot. This test has been arranged because your doctor or nurse suspects you may have a problem with the blood flow getting down to your foot. You may be experiencing symptoms such as:
• Cramping in the muscles in your leg when you walk often in the calf but also sometimes in the thigh or buttock. This pain is normally relieved quickly when you stop walking to rest.
• Cramping or pain in your legs when they are raised e.g. when lying down to sleep at night.
• Ulcers on your feet or legs.
What does the test involve?
You will be shown into one of our scanning rooms and you will be asked to partially undress so that we can scan from your abdomen (tummy) to your ankle. During the scan you will be lying or sitting on a couch. Ultrasound gel will be applied to your leg/tummy and a probe will be moved along your skin. The scientist performing your scan may need to apply some slight pressure to get clear views of the arteries. The scan normally takes 30-60 minutes for one leg. At the end of the scan, your results will go back to the consultant that requested the test and they will review them with you at another appointment.
Why are you having this test?
This is an ultrasound scan to look at the veins in one or both of your legs. You may be experiencing symptoms such as:
• Leg swelling
• Tenderness or pain in your leg
• Swollen veins on the surface of your skin which are warm or painful to touch This test has been arranged because your doctor or nurse wants to check for a blood clot in the veins in your leg called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
What does the test involve? You will be shown into one of our scanning rooms and you will be asked to partially undress so that we can scan your leg from groin to ankle. During the scan you will be sitting or lying on a couch. Ultrasound gel will be applied to your leg and a probe will be moved along your skin. The scientist performing your scan may need to slightly press or squeeze your leg to allow us to assess the veins. The scan normally takes 10-15 minutes. At the end of the scan, you will be normally be reviewed in another department with the results of the scan.
You will be shown into one of our scanning rooms and you will be asked to partially undress so that we can scan your leg from groin to ankle. During the scan you will be sitting or lying on a couch. Ultrasound gel will be applied to your leg and a probe will be moved along your skin. The scientist performing your scan may need to slightly press or squeeze your leg to allow us to assess the veins. The scan normally takes 10-15 minutes. At the end of the scan, you will be normally be reviewed in another department with the results of the scan.
Why are you having this test?
his is an ultrasound scan to look at the veins in one of your arms. You may be experiencing symptoms such as:
• Arm swelling
• Aching arm, shoulder, or neck
• Heaviness in your arm
• Tenderness or pain in your arm
• Swollen veins on the surface of your skin which are warm or painful to touch This test has been arranged because your doctor or nurse wants to check for a blood clot in the veins in your arm called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
What does the test involve?
You will be shown into one of our scanning rooms and you will be asked to partially undress so that we can scan your arm from your neck to the inside of your elbow. During the scan you will be asked to lie on a couch with your arm out on a pillow. Ultrasound gel will be applied to your arm and a probe will be moved along your skin. The scientist performing your scan may need to slightly press or squeeze your arm to allow us to assess the veins. The scan normally takes 20-25 minutes. At the end of the scan, you will be normally be reviewed in another department with the results of the scan.
Why are you having this test?
This is an ultrasound scan to look at the veins in your leg which normally take the blood from your feet back up to your heart. This scan has been arranged because your consultant suspects you may have a problem with the blood flow getting back up your leg. The test is to assess whether the valves in your veins are working properly as they can leak and cause blood to pool in your leg. You may be experiencing symptoms such as:
• Varicose veins that cause you discomfort or a recent bleed from one
• Leg swelling or aching
• Ulcers on your legs
What does the test involve?
You will be shown into one of our scanning rooms and you will be asked to partially undress so that we can scan your leg from the groin to your ankle. During the scan you will be standing up or sitting on the side if the couch with your feet on the floor. Ultrasound gel will be applied to your leg and a probe will be moved along your skin. The scientist performing your scan will be squeezing your calf to pump blood up your leg and back to your heart. If you need to rest from standing or you feel dizzy during the scan please tell the scientist performing your scan and adjustments can be made. The scan normally takes 30-60 minutes for one leg. At the end of the scan, your results will go back to the consultant that requested the test and they will review them with you at another appointment.
Our department is called Vascular Tests.
We are located on C level at Queen Alexandra Hospital between Lift areas 3 and 4.
You can enter via the Main entrance on A level or the North entrance on C level. If you require assistance to get to the department, please ask at reception at either entrance.
Information on vascular diseases: http://
