Venous duplex scan is a painless exam that uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to capture images of internal views of veins that return blood to the heart. During an upper extremity venous duplex scan, the veins in your neck, shoulders, arms and wrists are viewed. During a lower extremity venous duplex scan, the veins in the legs and ankles are viewed.
A special jelly is placed on the area being examined while a wand like device called a transducer is passed lightly over the skin over the vein. Internal images of the veins are shown on a screen, recorded as a video or printed as a photo.
A Doppler ultrasound may also be performed to capture images of the movement of blood through your veins. This test helps to determine how the blood is flowing through your veins.
Venous duplex scans can show blood clots in leg veins and evaluate for abnormal veins causing varicose veins.