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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Carotid Ultrasound Scan
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Carotid Ultrasound Scan
by monica, Aug 15, 1999 12:00AM
Thank You for taking my question.
3 years ago I had a carotid ultrasound scan. They did this as I was having facial pain on the left side. I had this at St. Luke's in Houston. The neurologist called me and said the left side was normal (face pain side) but the right side showed up to a 50% blockage. I never saw this report and the neurologist was not interested in helping me with my facial pain. He dismissed me.
I recently brought this up to my Internal med man and he ordered another one at another large Houston hospital. The tech asked me if i ever had this before. I told her about the one 3 years ago. She did a very good job scanning and going over and over looking for this 50% blockage on the right carotid. There was none to be seen.
Friday, I called the doctor's office for the results and his nurse read the whole report to me as the doc was out sick.
Nothing on this report shows any blockages bilaterally.
Now, was their Human error, 3 years ago or am I doing something right and "unclogged" this right carotid on my own. I am not on any meds but Premarin and do take an aspirin every day. I am 56 years old. Thank You.
3 years ago I had a carotid ultrasound scan. They did this as I was having facial pain on the left side. I had this at St. Luke's in Houston. The neurologist called me and said the left side was normal (face pain side) but the right side showed up to a 50% blockage. I never saw this report and the neurologist was not interested in helping me with my facial pain. He dismissed me.
I recently brought this up to my Internal med man and he ordered another one at another large Houston hospital. The tech asked me if i ever had this before. I told her about the one 3 years ago. She did a very good job scanning and going over and over looking for this 50% blockage on the right carotid. There was none to be seen.
Friday, I called the doctor's office for the results and his nurse read the whole report to me as the doc was out sick.
Nothing on this report shows any blockages bilaterally.
Now, was their Human error, 3 years ago or am I doing something right and "unclogged" this right carotid on my own. I am not on any meds but Premarin and do take an aspirin every day. I am 56 years old. Thank You.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB, Aug 16, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Monica
The ultrasound test should not be used to give precise percent blockages, but rather ranges of blockage. It is not an accurate enough test to say the exact degree of blockage you have. I suspect you had a mild degree of blockage before and a mild degree of blockage now. It would be unlikely for a true 50% blockage to go away completely.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
The ultrasound test should not be used to give precise percent blockages, but rather ranges of blockage. It is not an accurate enough test to say the exact degree of blockage you have. I suspect you had a mild degree of blockage before and a mild degree of blockage now. It would be unlikely for a true 50% blockage to go away completely.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
