Patient Information
Welcome to Western Vascular Diagnostics!
Who are we?
We are the only vascular laboratory in the western suburbs performing specialised non-invasive tests on your blood vessels. The Principal Laboratory Director is Mr Franklin Pond, a vascular surgeon. The Ballarat laboratory is under the supervision of Mr Michael Condous, a vascular surgeon. Our imaging specialists are Stephen, Liz, Gaby and Sandy. The reception staff are Kerry, Sue, Shaye.
Why are you here?
Your Doctor has asked us to investigate your blood vessels. This is usually done in the form of ultrasound. This involves looking at the blood vessels with a special type of ultrasound called duplex ultrasound. To do this we place some gel on your skin and this allows sound waves to pass into the blood vessels. Some of the sound waves bounce off the blood vessels and return to the probe which shows an image of your vessels. The flowing blood in your arteries and veins can be seen on the screen. We believe there is no risk to you from ultrasound.
What tests do we perform?
We perform various tests on your vascular system. These include looking at the arteries and veins in your body with Duplex Ultrasound. From the ultrasound the speed of the blood can be measured and can help us assess the degree of narrowing of the blood vessel. This is particularly useful for patients with narrowed or blocked arteries. For patients with varicose veins the duplex scan will allow us to identify the cause of the varicose veins and will greatly assist the doctor in planning the appropriate form of treatment for you. Another test that we perform is to assess the blood supply to your feet by taking the blood pressure in your legs and comparing it with the blood pressure in your arm. This test is useful in patients with pains in their legs when they walk and in patients with ulcers on their feet. We may require you to walk a standard distance on a treadmill at a set speed. After you have completed walking, the blood pressures in your arms and legs are again tested. The change in the readings is of use to your doctor in establishing the extent of blood flow limitation in your legs.
What will the tests cost me?
Your test will be bulk billed. This means that there will be NO out of pocket expenses to you and we will receive our payment directly from Medicare?
Who will be doing my test and when will my Doctor receive the results?
Your test will be performed by one of our very experienced technicians. These technicians perform purely vascular examinations all day every day. From the information the technicians supply our doctors will dictate a report the same day. This will then be typed and sent to your doctor. He should therefore have a report the following day. If the results are urgent, the doctor will either be telephoned or receive a fax of the result the same day.
Do you have any further questions?
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact the laboratory on 9317-3377 or contact us by email.