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Fetal Medicine- Doppler Studies in Dhakuria

Doppler Studies

Doppler Studies in Dhakuria

The Doppler Study is a type of ultrasonography that uses sound waves to measure blood flow through a blood vessel. The results are represented on a computer screen as waveforms or lines. Therefore, sometimes it's referred to as Doppler Velocimetry.  Doppler Flow Study is one of the possible methods of tracking the foetus's health during pregnancy.

The technique checks blood flow in:

  • The umbilical veins and arteries
  • The baby’s brain
  • The baby’s heart
  • Other organs of the body

Procedure:

The test is done in the ultrasound or radiology department, a hospital room, or a peripheral vascular lab. The procedure is generally performed along with a Growth Scan during the third trimester of pregnancy.

FAQ's

The various Doppler ultrasonography types consist of:

  • Colour Doppler: Sound waves are converted into different colours by a computer to show the direction of blood flow.
  • Spectral Doppler: Blood flow over time is graphically represented. 
  • Duplex Ultrasound: Combines traditional ultrasound pictures with Doppler ultrasound. It can check the width of blood vessels and help show blockages.
  • Power Doppler: This test can be used to demonstrate extremely sluggish blood flow as well as the existence of blood flow. Healthcare professionals may use a Power Doppler to assess the blood flow inside organs. 
  • Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography: This type of ultrasound looks at blood flow in the brain to identify subarachnoid haemorrhages or strokes. 

A popular imaging method in Obstetrics is Foetal Doppler Ultrasound, which is crucial during 32 weeks of gestation to assess the foetal heart and blood vessels. Doppler Ultrasound is typically performed at 32 weeks. It can detect issues that Ultrasonography often fails to pick up on and is a safe and dependable method.

Doctors diagnose the following conditions using Doppler Ultrasonography.

  • Narrowed arteries or veins
  • Blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
  • Blood vessel injuries
  • Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) 
  • Evaluate blood supply to a transplant organ (like your kidney, liver or pancreas)
  • Renal vascular causes of hypertension
  • Tumours in blood vessels

Depending on the type of ultrasound and the reason for the test, you may need to;

  • Fast (not eat or drink) for a designated number of hours before the test. 
  • Quit smoking and do not use nicotine products for at least two hours before the test. Nicotine narrows blood vessels, which may affect the test results.
  • An expert in ultrasound technology, a sonographer, performs this evaluation. The exam could take thirty to sixty minutes.
  • You may lie on your side or back on an examination table, or you may sit upright, depending on the purpose of the test.
  • The sonographer will apply a small amount of gel to your skin during the procedure. The gel facilitates the sonographer's skin-probing motion. It aids in the propagation of sound waves.
  • Through your skin and into your body, the transducer transmits painless sound waves. You won't be able to hear the high-frequency sound waves.
  • The sound waves' pitch changes as a result of the reflection of the circulating blood cells.

This exam is conducted by a technologist. The exam could take thirty to sixty minutes. You may lie on your side or back on an examination table, or you may sit upright, depending on the purpose of the test. 

In the third trimester, between 36 and 40 weeks of pregnancy, Colour Doppler investigations are typically performed in conjunction with a Growth Scan. If there are any health issues or pregnancy difficulties, you might require it sooner. Rarely, a Doppler Scan is performed in the first trimester of pregnancy to identify a baby's genetic and cardiac problems.

The blood vessels that supply your uterus with oxygen are called uterine arteries. To make sure your placenta is receiving adequate blood, you must have a uterine artery Doppler Ultrasound. For optimal development, your baby requires an abundance of nutrients and oxygen. To let as much blood pass through as possible, your uterine artery walls should be flexible. These typically tiny arteries enlarge during pregnancy to make blood more easily able to enter your womb. This phenomenon is referred to as low resistance. Your kid might not receive the nutrition and oxygen he requires through the umbilical cord if blood cannot pass through the placenta with sufficient ease. 

A Doppler Study helps identify the blood vessel tumours and issues within your innate blood vessel anatomy. If a pregnant woman's blood flow to the unborn child is a concern, a Doppler Ultrasound is performed during pregnancy. Moreover, it can monitor the baby's blood flow.

  • Thermal effects: The heat produced at the transducer surface causes heating of tissue as ultrasound is absorbed by the tissue. 
  • Cavitation forms due to the development of gas bubbles at high negative pressure.
  • Other mechanical effects include radiation forces leading to streaming in fluids and stress at tissue interfaces.

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