Dear Patients and Referrers,

COVID-19 has significantly impacted the way which CVS/CRS operates, both in WA and VIC. We strictly follow all local and national health guidelines and our services and internal procedures have been reviewed to minimise virus transmission risk to both our patients and our staff.

We are committed to continuing to provide high quality patient care and delivering an excellent patient experience during this time, therefore we want to assure all of our patients of a safe environment and encourage our patients to continue to attend their required appointments. It is important that you do not delay your cardiac, respiratory or sleep testing during this time.

We encourage our patients and referrers to email us at adminteam@cvs.net.au to ensure an efficiently and timely handling of your request, and ask that our patients follow relevant COVID-Safe guidelines when attending our clinics.

CVS and CRS are doing everything we can to continue to deliver, when you need us most. Our thoughts are with you as we work through this together.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Philip Currie
CEO, Cardiologist

Vascular Procedures and Patient Preparation

Procedure Duration Requirements

Ankle Brachial Index

This procedure involves taking the blood pressure in your arms and your ankles. It is commonly performed with lower limb arterial scans.
15 minutes

No specific preparation required.

Aortic-iliac Arteries/Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Ultrasound (AAA)

This is an ultrasound of your abdomen, to visualise the blood flow in the aorta and other main arteries and exclude any abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
45 – 60 minutes

You must fast for at least 5 hours prior to the ultrasound, with only minimal water to be taken with medication. No smoking and no chewing gum.

Arterial Lower Limb

This involves an ultrasound of the arteries within one or both of your legs to assess adequacy of blood flow and stenosis (blockages).
45 – 60 minutes

No specific preparation required.

Arterial Upper Limb

This involves an ultrasound of the arteries within one or both of your arms to assess adequacy of blood flow and stenosis (blockages).
45 – 60 minutes

No specific preparation required.

Arteriovenous Fistula

This is an ultrasound of the arm (or leg) which has a fistula.
60 minutes

No specific preparation required, however it’s a good idea to book this test on a day that you don’t have dialysis.

Bypass Graft Surveillance

This procedure is an ultrasound of the area of your arterial bypass graft (usually within the legs).
45 – 60 minutes

No specific preparation required.

Carotid Doppler

This procedure involves an ultrasound of the arteries within your neck, to exclude any significant plaque or stenosis (blockages) within these arteries.
30 – 45 minutes

No specific preparation required.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

This procedure involves an ultrasound of the deep veins in one or both of your legs, to exclude any deep vein thrombosis (clots). It involves some pressure on your leg, with only minimal discomfort.
30 – 45 minutes

No specific preparation required.

Mesenteric Artery Duplex

This is an ultrasound of your abdominal area, focussing on the arteries that supply blood to your small and large intestines.
45 – 60 minutes

You are required to fast for at least 5 hours; minimal water is allowed with medication. No smoking and no chewing gum.

Renal Access Workup

This is an ultrasound of one, or both of your arms to assess the size of all veins and the blood flow in the arteries. It is commonly performed to determine suitability for a fistula.
60 minutes

No specific preparation required, however it’s a good idea to have eaten and be well hydrated prior to this test.

Renal Artery Ultrasound

This involves ultrasound of your abdomen, focussing specifically on your kidney(s) and the arteries which supply them.
45 – 60 minutes

You are required to fast for at least 5 hours; minimal water is allowed with medication. No smoking and no chewing gum.

Vein Mapping

This involves an ultrasound of the veins within one, or both of your legs. The test may involve the sonographer ‘drawing’ on your legs to mark where specific veins are located.
30 minutes

No specific preparation required.

Venous Lower Limb

This procedure involves an ultrasound of the veins in one, or both of your legs. This particular vascular scan is very useful for diagnosing varicose veins and evaluating possible treatment options. The scan will involve some gentle ‘squeezing’ of your calf muscles to determine blood flow characteristics of your veins.
45 – 60 minutes

No specific preparation required.

Venous Upper Limb

This is an ultrasound of one, or both of your arms. It may involve some gentle ‘squeezing’ of your arms to determine the blood flow characteristics of the veins within your arms.
45 – 60 minutes

No specific preparation required.
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