A noninvasive (without surgery or general anesthesia) vascular laboratory is a specially designed laboratory with equipment and personnel to accurately diagnose problems of the vascular system (the arteries and veins in the circulatory system). The improvement in ultrasound and other technology has brought the Noninvasive Vascular Laboratory to the forefront in the diagnosis of vascular disease.

Some of the tests done in the Vascular Lab include:

The tests performed in the laboratory include those to evaluate disease in the carotid arteries (large arteries on each side of the neck that supply blood to the brain) for stroke risk, circulation in the legs or evaluation of abdominal aorta for aneurysm (a ballooning of a vessel that may lead to rupture) or causes of hypertension (high blood pressure). Evaluation of leg or arm veins for blood clots or swelling and for causes of varicose veins.

One of the most common vascular diseases that can be detected by vascular lab services is stroke, sometimes called a brain attack. This occurs when blood flow is interrupted to areas of the brain and brain cells begin to die. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability in this country. Each year two million people in the United States alone develop deep vein thrombosis - blood clots in the veins. This becomes life-threatening for nearly one fourth of those people when the blood clot breaks loose and travels in the circulatory system causing obstruction. With early detection through the use of noninvasive vascular testing, this disease is preventable.