Suite 1/183 Tynte Street
North Adelaide SA 5006
Clinic Hours:
Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Patient
Information

This section provides information for patients regarding our services, their appointment, and useful resources and information.

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What We Do​
Useful Links
What We Diagnose
Your Appointment
Preparing to See Us

What We Do

We use state-of-the-art ultrasound machines to obtain images and data about what’s happening in your body. Our vascular surgeons use this data to diagnose your condition and make recommendations for treatment.

What we Diagnose

We can diagnose or evaluate the following diseases and conditions.

Diseased or blocked arteries in arms or legs (peripheral vascular disease).

This means diseases of blood vessels outside the heart and brain. Often, peripheral vascular disease can be the narrowing of vessels that carry blood to the legs, arms, stomach or kidneys.

Your Appointment

You need to be referred to us by a registered medical practitioner.

Results are available immediately following scans and a report will be sent to your doctor within 24 hours.

Urgent results will be communicated directly to your doctor as soon as possible.
If needed, a follow-up appointment will be made for you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call us on 8267 3511.

Preparing to see us

It’s important to let us know if you are a diabetic. Patients should continue to take all prescribed medications.

We ask that you give some thought to what you’re wearing on the day of your appointment. For example, if you’re having your abdomen scanned you’ll be more comfortable if you wear clothing that can be easily shifted aside without being removed.

If you are unsure which ultrasound examination you are having, please check with us or your referring doctor.

We check the flow of blood through your arteries by looking at the pressure of fluid in your toe. Low pressure can cause problems like pain, ulcers or gangrene. We also check blood flow using a powerful scanning function on our ultrasound machines (these are known as Doppler scans and they work using sound waves).
These are abnormally enlarged, twisted surface veins in the legs. This enlargement happens when there’s a problem with the function of valves in the veins. Valves keep blood flowing towards the heart. When valves aren’t functioning properly, blood can pass under high pressure from the deep veins in the leg to the surface veins. Poorly functioning valves can also cause skin rashes and ulcers.
This condition is a blood clot in one of the deep veins in the leg. It’s usually caused by a long period of immobility, which is why it’s a concern during international air travel. It can also occur after operations on the leg, such as a hip replacement. DVT is a concern because the clot can dislodge and go to the lung (known as a pulmonary embolism). If detected early, DVT is treatable and the risks can be reduced.
We test the blood flow through your veins including checking ulcers caused by varicose veins. An ulcer is a sore that doesn’t heal.
Carotid disease occurs when the important arteries in your neck become blocked or narrowed. These arteries – the carotid arteries – carry blood to your brain. A stroke – when part of the brain is damaged by bleeding or lack of circulation – is one of the risks of carotid disease. We can evaluate the risk of stroke or whether you’ve had a stroke and check for some of the signs that you might be at risk of stroke. These signs are called transient ischemic attacks and symptoms include weakness, numbness, or a tingling sensation on one side of your body, being unable to control the movement of an arm or a leg, losing vision in one eye or being unable to speak clearly. If detected early, an operation can be performed or a stent placed in the artery to prevent a stroke. A stent is a metal cylinder which opens up the artery to maintain blood flow.
We conduct screening and follow up for this disease which occurs in the aorta – the main artery in the abdomen. An aortic aneurysm occurs when part of the wall of the aorta weakens, becomes thinner and stretches like a balloon. This bulge is called an aneurysm. If the aneurysm continues to grow, the aortic wall might not be able to support the force of the blood flow. If this happens, the aneurysm is at risk of bursting, which causes serious internal bleeding. If detected early, the aneurysm can be treated.
This occurs when your iliac arteries become blocked or narrowed. The major artery in the body – the aorta – carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. It extends from the chest to the abdomen where it branches into the iliac arteries. Symptoms of aorto-iliac occlusive disease include leg and buttock pains and claudication – which means pain or cramps in your lower body when you walk.
We conduct screening for peripheral vascular occlusive disease and carotid atheroma among people who are at-risk – diabetics, smokers and patients with a history of vascular disease. Carotid atheroma is the blockage of the carotid artery with a fatty buildup.

An ultrasound machine uses high frequency sound waves to create images of the human body. The technique is non-invasive, meaning that it doesn’t penetrate the patient’s body – and is considered to be very low risk.

Ultrasound technology has its origins early in the 20th century when sonars were used to identify submarines beneath the surface of the ocean. It was first used medically in the 1950s.

The ultrasound operator – known as a sonographer – presses the ultrasound machine’s hand-held camera onto the patient’s skin. A low allergy water-based gel is used to create contact between the camera – also known as a transducer – and the patient’s skin. The images gathered – known as scans – are recorded digitally in the machine for review by our sonographers and vascular surgeons. The images are also stored for future reference.

The ultrasound lets us see anything out of the ordinary in your veins and arteries, such as blockages, aneurysms and signs of disease. We can also measure the flow of blood to assess the health of your blood vessels.

Arteries are blood vessels which supply blood from the heart to your body. A blocked artery can cause pain, ulcers or even gangrene.

Veins carry blood back to your heart. A clot in a vein can cause Deep Vein Thrombosis or other complications if it dislodges and goes into the lungs.

Ultrasound images are taken while the patient lies on the examination couch with one or both legs exposed. Towels will be used to protect your modesty and your underwear is not required to be removed. The examination may take up to 40 minutes. The main arteries are scanned from the groin to mid-calf. The arteries in the calf may also be checked down to the ankles.

Preparation: Please wear clothing and shoes that are easy to remove and put on.

Ultrasound images are obtained while the patient lies on the examination couch with the abdomen exposed. There is no need to remove any clothing. The examination may take up to 20 minutes.

Preparation: You are required to fast for 6 hours. Please also refrain from smoking. You can take your usual medication with a small amount of water.

If diabetic you may have a snack if needed.

Ultrasound images are obtained while the patient lies on the examination couch with the neck exposed. The main arteries are scanned on both sides from the base of the neck to the bottom of the jaw. The examination may take up to 20 minutes.

Preparation: Please wear loose clothing or an open neck shirt. Talking might affect the imaging so the sonographer performing the scan may ask you not to talk at times.

Ultrasound images are obtained while the patient lies on the examination couch with the abdomen exposed. There is no need to remove any clothing. Please wear clothes that are easy to adjust to allow us to view various sections of your abdomen. You might be asked to hold your breath at times. The examination may take up to 40 minutes.

Preparation: You are required to fast for 6 hours. Please also refrain from smoking. You can take your usual medication with a small amount of water.

If diabetic you may have a snack if needed.

Ultrasound images are obtained while the patient lies on the examination couch with their upper chest, shoulder and arms exposed. The examination may take up to 40 minutes.

Preparation: Please wear clothes that are easy to remove and replace.

Ultrasound images are obtained while the patient lies on the examination couch with the abdomen exposed. There is no need to remove any clothing. The examination may take up to 40 minutes.

Preparation: You are required to fast for 6 hours. 1 hour before your bladder is to be emptied. Then please drink 600mls of water prior to your examination. Bladder may not be emptied. Please wear clothes that are easy to adjust to allow us to scan sections of your abdomen. You may be asked to hold your breath for a short time during the examination.

Ultrasound images are obtained while the patient is either standing or tilted in a semi-erect position on a specialised examination couch. The legs are exposed. Underwear remains in place and we use towels to preserve modesty. The main veins are scanned from groin to ankle. We will ask you to breathe in a certain way at times and contract your calf muscles (this tests your valves). The examination may take up to 40 minutes.

Preparation: Please wear clothing and shoes that are easy to remove and put on.

An exercise treadmill examination can confirm if the pain you feel when you walk is related to blood flow restriction to your muscles.

You will have a pressure test (Doppler perfusion pressure test)  before and after the treadmill test. This records the blood pressure in your foot and helps to compare blood pressure in your foot before and after exercise.

You are required to walk at a steady pace on a treadmill for approximately 5 minutes. Please let the operator know if this will prove to be an issue for you before the start of the test.

Preparation: Please wear clothes and shoes that are comfortable for walking.

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