Carotid Duplex Ultrasound

What is Carotid Ultrasound?

Carotid ultrasound is a painless and harmless test that uses high-frequency sound waves to create pictures of the insides of the two large arteries in your neck.

These arteries, called carotid arteries, supply your brain with oxygen-rich blood. You have one carotid artery on each side of your neck.

Carotid ultrasound shows whether a substance called plaque has narrowed your carotid arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in the blood. Plaque builds up on the insides of your arteries as you age. This condition is called carotid artery disease.

Too much plaque in a carotid artery can cause a stroke. The plaque can slow down or block the flow of blood through the artery, allowing a blood clot to form. A piece of the blood clot can break off and get stuck in the artery, blocking blood flow to the brain. This is what causes a stroke.

A standard carotid ultrasound shows the structure of your carotid arteries. Your carotid ultrasound test may include a Doppler ultrasound. Doppler ultrasound is a special test that shows the movement of blood through your blood vessels.

Your doctor often will need results from both types of ultrasound to fully assess whether there’s a problem with blood flow through your carotid arteries.

Test results

If a Cardiology Associates of Gainesville (CAG) physician or nurse practitioner ordered your test, you should receive your test results either by telephone or by mail in approximately 7 business days. After that time, if you have not received your test results, you may call our office at 352-264-2500 ext. 499 to reach our patient message center. You will need to leave your name, telephone number, date and type of testing, and the ordering physician’s name. You will receive a call back within 24 hours with an update regarding your test results.

If a physician other than CAG ordered your test, please contact their office for your test results.