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Carotid Artery Ultrasound
The carotid arteries are the two main vessels in the neck that carry blood to the head and brain. Carotid Artery Ultrasound is a noninvasive, painless test that will help your physician determine if there are any blockages obstructing the blood flow to the brain through the carotid arteries. A significant number of strokes are caused by blockages and narrowing of the carotid arteries.
Prior to your appointment, be certain to ask your primary care doctor whether your carotid ultrasound will take place in the Minneapolis Heart Institute clinic, or in Abbott Northwestern Hospital’s Special Diagnostics department. Both are located on the second floor of Abbott Northwestern’s Heart Hospital. When you get to the Abbott Northwestern campus, you should report to the Cardiovascular Family Care Center on the second floor of the Heart Hospital. (Choose from the following links to view maps and directions or a campus guide.) Please wear a shirt or blouse with an open collar. Turtleneck sweaters may need to be removed for the test.
For this test you will be asked to lie quietly while a technologist moves a small instrument called a transducer over your neck. During the Doppler portion of the test you will hear the sounds of your blood flow and your heartbeat. The resulting images are recorded and stored in your record. The procedure takes approximately 30 minutes.
After the procedure you may leave without restrictions. There are no known risks from the use of ultrasound for medical diagnosis.
Other tests for this sub-specialty
Specializing Cardiologists
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