Peripheral Arterial Evaluation

The Peripheral Arterial Evaluation is a noninvasive test ordered by your doctor to find out if the arteries of your legs or arms are blocked or narrowed. When there is blockage or narrowing of the leg or arm arteries you may have pain, coldness, numbness or nonhealing ulcers in the affected limb. The test uses ultrasound and blood pressure cuffs to record the blood pressure at different levels in the limb.

Before the Test

There is no special preparation required for this test, but you may want to bring a loose-fitting pair of shorts along to wear during the test.

During the Test

You will be asked to lie quietly while a technologist moves a transducer over you legs or arms. During the Doppler portion of the exam, you will hear your blood flow with your heartbeat. Blood pressure cuffs will be placed at several levels on your legs or arms, and the pressures will be recorded. You may experience mild to moderate discomfort when the cuffs are inflated to check the pressure. You may be asked to exercise your legs after the ultrasound and blood pressure recording portion of the test. The resulting images and numbers are recorded and stored in your record. The test takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes.

After the Test

After the procedure you may leave without restrictions. There are no known risks from the use of ultrasound for medical diagnosis.