Testing & Diagnostics

Looking for Advanced Vascular Testing? Orange County Trusts Hoag for Next-Generation Vascular Care.

Every day through our Vascular Program at Hoag’s Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart and Vascular Institute, we’re setting the standard for vascular disease diagnosis in Orange County.

The Hoag Echo and Vascular Ultrasound Lab established itself as the first IAC-accredited vascular lab in Orange County. All Hoag Echo and Vascular Ultrasound Labs are still proudly IAC accredited providing the highest quality vascular imaging available.

The latest and most advanced diagnostic tools. A unified team of physicians, registered vascular technologists and vascular surgeons, working as one for your healing. A program-wide focus on delivering the utmost in patient-focused care. That’s vascular diagnosis and care when you choose Hoag.

Read on for what you need to know about how vascular disease is diagnosed at Hoag. Or contact Hoag’s Vascular Program through our online form or by calling 949-764-5871.

What is Vascular Disease?

Vascular disease is an umbrella term for any condition that can impact the blood vessels, which — along with the heart — form the circulatory system.

With the heart serving as the pump that keeps things flowing, the network of blood vessels that make up a healthy circulatory system supplies oxygenated blood to the body, then routes blood back to the heart so it can be re-oxygenated by the lungs, starting the cycle all over again.

The different types of blood vessels are:

  • Arteries, which are large, thick-walled blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart
  • Veins, which are thinner vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart
  • Capillaries, which are the networks of very thin blood vessels that distribute oxygen and nutrients directly to the tissues and carry away waste

Certain vascular diseases can damage the blood vessels, dangerously increase the pressure that blood flow exerts on the circulatory system or disrupt the function of the heart, brain, kidneys and other vital organs. For these reasons, some types of vascular disease can cause serious and even life-threatening symptoms and complications.

There are many different types of vascular disease. Visit the following links to learn more from Hoag:

Visit this link to learn more about management and treatment options for vascular disease that are available at Hoag.

How is Vascular Disease Diagnosed?

How to diagnose vascular disease depends on several factors, including which type of vascular disease you have and the symptoms you are experiencing.

Steps usually taken to reach a vascular disease diagnosis include:

Physical Examination and Family History

If you visit a physician with symptoms that indicate you might have some form of vascular disease, you’ll likely be given a thorough physical examination. Your doctor will likely check your blood pressure, listen to your heart and arteries and examine your body for signs that might indicate vascular disease, including leg pain or swelling in the lower extremities (the legs, feet and ankles).

Your doctor will also likely ask your personal and family history of vascular issues and heart disease, factors like diabetes and smoking.

You may be asked to submit to other tests to help diagnose the cause of the symptoms you’re experiencing. These tests may include:

Blood and Urine Testing

Your doctor may take a blood sample and/or a urine sample to determine cholesterol levels, blood sugar, triglycerides and other issues that might indicate you have vascular disease or a condition that could be contributing to it, like atherosclerosis or diabetes.

Diagnostic Imaging

Modern diagnostic imaging technology is important in the accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases of all types, creating detailed pictures and video of internal structures of the body. These images can then be used for diagnosis, planning for treatments or surgical procedures and other next steps.

Imaging technology used to diagnose different types of vascular disease includes:

Vascular Ultrasound Exams

An ultrasound exam is a non-invasive medical procedure in which sound waves are used to create detailed pictures of tissues, organs and structures inside the body. Vascular ultrasound is a group of specialized procedures used to look specifically at the vascular system, consisting of the arteries, veins and capillaries.

Types of vascular ultrasound exams used at Hoag include:

  • Duplex Ultrasound is a type of imaging that combines two ultrasound technologies — B-mode ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound — to create highly-detailed images of blood vessels and blood flow inside the body.
  • Arterial Duplex, which is a type of ultrasound used specifically to visualize and evaluate the arteries supplying the arms and legs (sometimes called “the extremities”)
  • Aortic ultrasound, which looks specifically at the aorta — the body’s largest and most important blood vessel — for signs of enlargement, aortic aneurysms (bulging) or aortic dissection (a life-threatening tear in the aortic wall)
  • Abdominal Vascular Duplex, a type of ultrasound used to examine the blood vessels that supply the organs inside the abdomen, including the renal arteries
  • Carotid Duplex (CUS), also called a carotid ultrasound, which is used to evaluate the carotid arteries on either side of the neck that supply blood to the brain
  • Venous Duplex, which is used to examine the veins that return deoxygenated blood from the arms and legs
  • Arterial Physiologic Exam, a specialized form of ultrasound in which blood pressure cuffs are used during the exam to locate blockages in an artery
  • Transcranial Doppler (TCD), a type of ultrasound used to evaluate the blood vessels inside the skull that supply the brain
Angiogram

An angiogram is a minimally invasive form of imaging in which a thin, flexible tube is inserted through a blood vessel, then guided through the body to a spot in the circulatory system that will be examined.

Once in place, a special fluid called a contrast dye is injected through the catheter. The injection of this contrast dye makes nearby blood vessels visible on X-ray images. X-rays are then taken, which can reveal blockages in the blood vessel.

Magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA)

Magnetic resonance angiography is a special type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to see blood vessels and map blood flow.

Computed tomography angiography (CTA)

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is an advanced imaging test which involves CT scanning with a contrast dye to produce images of certain arteries.

Other Tests Used to Diagnose Vascular Disease
  • Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) Screening, a quick test to compare the blood pressure in your ankle with the blood pressure in your arm for early detection of a common circulatory problem, peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
  • Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, which is a type of blood pressure monitor that you wear for hours or days

Visit this link to meet Hoag’s vascular team.

Need a Vascular Specialist? Orange County Looks to Hoag for Advanced Vascular Diagnosis and Care.

From Seal Beach to Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills to Mission Viejo, Orange County’s recognized leader for advanced vascular disease diagnosis is Hoag.

Our commitment to providing Orange County with the latest diagnostics for vascular disease is strong. Hoag has IAC-accredited Echo and Vascular Ultrasound Labs throughout Orange County, with convenient locations in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Irvine.

The Hoag Echo and Vascular Ultrasound Labs are IAC-Accredited in Vascular Testing. As a patient, you can have confidence that our facility is committed to quality patient care:

  • Specialized and dedicated, highly trained registered vascular technologists (RVT)
  • Physicians are board-certified and fellowship trained in vascular specialties and credentialed in vascular interpretation
  • Ability to evaluate rare conditions and perform specialized testing

From peripheral vascular disease to deep vein thrombosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm to carotid artery disease, nobody knows these complex conditions quite like Hoag. So don’t wait. If you need diagnosis and treatment for vascular disease in Orange County, Hoag is here, and we’re ready to help. Contact us today through our online form or by calling 949-764-5871.