Vascular Studies Unit |
B56
|
Your Vascular assessment appointment
How to cancel or rearrange your appointment
If you have received a letter on RUH headed paper, this appointment is for a vascular diagnostic/ultrasound test. It can be rearranged or cancelled by calling 01225 824440 or 824441.
If you have another appointment at the RUH and wish to arrange your vascular appointment on the same day to prevent multiple return trips to the hospital, please contact us.
If your scan is urgent this may not be possible but we will try to accommodate your request.
What to expect at your scan appointment
When you arrive for your appointment please check in at our Reception desk in B56. One of our administrative team will ask if you have an appointment letter, and will direct you to take a seat in the waiting room.
Due to the urgent nature of your appointment, you may not have received a letter but we may have contacted you by telephone. Please inform the team if this is the case.
At your appointment time one of our healthcare assistants will call you from the waiting area and escort you into one of the ultrasound rooms and get you ready for your scan.
Here at Vascular Studies we run a number of different clinics and therefore you may see someone go in for their appointment before you. This does not mean you have missed your appointment. Please report to the reception desk if you have not been seen within 30 minutes of your appointment time.
Is there any preparation required before my scan?
- There is no preparation required prior to attending your appointment at Vascular Studies, unless attending for SMA stent surveillance where you will be asked to fast for 6 hours prior to your appointment time.
- You may be asked to get undressed and remove your shoes and socks for the appointment, so we advise you wear something that is easy to take off.
- Please be aware your scan may extend above the level of your symptoms i.e a whole leg scan may be required even if only experiencing calf pain.
How long will my appointment take?
Most ultrasound scans and investigations performed in vascular studies will take approximately 30 minutes. Some scans can take longer than this due to their complexity so please leave at least an hour for your appointment.
You may be asked to attend another department called Ambulatory Care following your scan for medical review. As this is a walk-in referral service there may be a wait to be seen.
Will it hurt?
There are no needles or injections required for vascular ultrasound to be performed. Therefore pain and discomfort should be minimal when attending for a scan. You may experience some pressure or discomfort when the scientist is scanning dependent on how deep the blood vessels are.
You may also experience a feeling of 'tightness' if you are attending for a pressure index test when the blood pressure cuff is applied. This should not be more uncomfortable than having your blood pressure measured at the GP surgery.
What happens next and what about my results?
The results of all investigations will always be sent back to the referring medical team and will be discussed with you on the day of your scan. Dependent on the nature of your results:
- You may be asked to attend Ambulatory Care for urgent medical review before going home.
- You may be able to go home after your appointment but may be asked to contact your GP on the day to determine the need for any further management.
- You may be due to see a vascular consultant on the same day via a one stop service.
- Your appointment at vascular studies may be part of a series of investigations you are undergoing that day, and results will be discussed with the referring doctors.
- Your results may be discussed with the vascular team and you will be contacted with the outcome of this discussion.
- You may be attending for routine surveillance and vascular studies will contact you to schedule a future appointment.