Vascular problems can impact your quality of life and mobility, cause pain and even be life-threatening. Vascular tests, also called vascular studies, help us thoroughly assess your condition. The results can identify the treatment that will help you regain your ability to do the things you enjoy.
Advanced vascular studies enable us to monitor your health before, during and after treatment. This rigorous monitoring helps us maintain our patients’ exceptional outcomes.
Vascular Studies and Diagnosis: The Penn Medicine Difference
The Penn Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy Program offers complete care for all types of vascular disease. In our Vascular Laboratory, you receive:
- Expert vascular testing: Our highly qualified technologists are certified Registered Vascular Technologists (RVT) with credentials from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. This credential assures you they have a high level of skill and training. Our staff performs over 10,000 tests per year, giving them a great deal of expertise in every type of vascular study.
- Quality vascular care: Our vascular labs are accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). This accreditation assures that we maintain rigorous standards of quality care.
- State-of-the-art equipment and devices: We use the latest technology to perform these vascular studies. To support excellent results, we recommend that you have vascular testing done at one lab, such as the Penn Vascular Laboratory. Going to the same lab helps our team detect changes or differences over time by comparing results to previous studies.
- Outcome monitoring: Penn participates in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI), an effort sponsored by the Society for Vascular Surgery. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center hold a three-star rating — the highest number an institution can receive. Our high VQI rating reflects our commitment to delivery of excellent, high-quality vascular care.
- Access to research to advance vascular therapies: Vascular surgeons, vascular technicians and other specialists at Penn collect data to help advance care for a variety of vascular conditions. Our work helps increase access to clinical trials for conditions such as complex aortic problems and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), offering new treatment options that weren’t previously available.
What Is the Penn Vascular Laboratory?
The Vascular Laboratory provides noninvasive blood vessel imaging without radiation and contrast. These imaging studies are often the initial screening test or monitoring study before more invasive or costlier imaging studies. At Penn, the Vascular Lab is an integral part of caring for people with vascular disease.
Your vascular surgeon may refer you to the Vascular Lab for a new diagnosis or to monitor your health over time. Vascular studies can also help you and your doctors keep an eye on a problem before or after vascular surgery or an endovascular procedure.
Types of Vascular Studies and Tests We Offer
At the Vascular Laboratory, you work with experienced vascular technicians who understand why you need a specific test. We communicate seamlessly with your vascular surgeon to help you get the care you need.
Vascular testing that we offer includes:
Arterial Physiological Testing and Pulse Volume Recordings (PVR)
We use several noninvasive measures to test the blood flow and circulation to your lower extremities (feet and legs) or upper extremities (arms and hands). These tests use a blood pressure cuff and ultrasound. We offer:
- Ankle-brachial index (ABI) or toe-brachial index: Tests that compare blood pressure in your ankles or toes and your upper body
- Thoracic outlet testing: Blood pressure tests when your upper arms are in different positions to check for thoracic outlet syndrome
Duplex Ultrasonography
Duplex ultrasound is a mainstay of vascular testing. This test uses sound waves to examine blood flow patterns in your blood vessels. The noninvasive tests create a color map of your blood vessels to identify the potential source of pain or vascular disease.
We use duplex ultrasound to evaluate: