Welcome to the Patient Information section of ICAVLonline. The ICAVL provides the following information as a service to the general public. This section is designed to help prospective patients stay educated and informed about noninvasive vascular technology and the importance of accredited laboratories.

What Does 'Vascular' Mean?

The word vascular refers to our body's circulatory system -- the blood vessels which carry blood from the heart to the body's organs (the arteries), and from the organs back to the heart (the veins).

What is Vascular Disease?

Vascular disease refers to the unhealthy changes which occur in our blood vessels as we age. Examples include plaque build-up in the arteries, varicose veins, and blood clots in the veins.

What is Vascular Ultrasound?

The medical specialty of vascular technology utilizes diagnostic ultrasound to generate images of blood flow within the veins and arteries. Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves, similar to the sonar that a ship uses to detect structures beneath the surface of the water. Vascular ultrasound can also be known as a Doppler or duplex study. For example, if your physician wants to make sure that you do not have a blood clot in your leg, he or she might order a venous duplex or venous Doppler examination.

Vascular ultrasound procedures are non-invasive, meaning they do not require the use of needles, dyes, radiation or anesthesia and are, therefore, relatively painless and harmless.

The information obtained through vascular ultrasound examinations is extremely helpful to physicians in diagnosing a variety of conditions related to cardiovascular disease, disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Early detection of life-threatening vascular diseases is possible through the use of noninvasive vascular testing techniques performed within vascular laboratories.

Vascular ultrasound's reliability in diagnosing conditions related to heart disease and stroke is encouraging as we strive for ways to reduce the more than 500,000 lives lost in the United States each year to these disorders. However, it is critical that the public realizes there are many facets that contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on vascular ultrasound examinations. These factors include the skill of the technologist/sonographer performing the examination, the type of equipment used, the background and knowledge of the interpreting physician and quality assurance measures. In fact, poor ultrasound examinations often lead to inconvenient, redundant studies, misdiagnosis and even unnecessary tests or surgery.

ICAVL Accreditation - A "Seal Of Approval" Patients Can Count On.

Private offices, clinics and departments within hospitals that are accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) voluntarily submit to a review of their daily operations. By participating in the accreditation process, these medical facilities demonstrate a commitment to the performance of quality vascular testing and strive to meet nationally recognized standards. During the accreditation process, applicant vascular laboratories must submit documentation on every aspect of their daily operations. While completing the application, laboratories are required to identify and correct potential problems, revising protocols and validating quality assurance programs. Applications submitted, including samples of the vascular examinations performed, are reviewed by experts throughout the United States and Canada. Accreditation is granted only to those facilities that are found to be providing quality patient care, in compliance with The ICAVL Standards. Once granted, ICAVL accreditation is valid for a period of three years, after which time the facility must undergo a repeat evaluation.

When scheduled for a vascular ultrasound examination, patients should inquire as to the accreditation status of the facility where their examination will be performed. Patients can rely on accreditation as an indication that the facility where their examination will be performed has proven a commitment to providing quality testing for the diagnosis of vascular disease. Patients can rest assured that accredited facilities have been carefully critiqued on all aspects of their operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of vascular technology. Find an accredited vascular laboratory in your area.

The ICAVL Certificate of Accreditation (sample shown here) is an easy way for patients to identify an ICAVL-accredited facility. >>

ICAVL accreditation is widely respected within the medical community, as illustrated by the support of eleven medical societies including physicians, technologists and sonographers. The specific medical specialties represented include cardiology, neurology, radiology, vascular medicine, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, internal medicine and biology. In addition, Medicare and several private insurance carriers either require or strongly recommend that their providers of vascular ultrasound be accredited. However, patients should still remain vigilant in making sure that their vascular examinations are performed within accredited laboratories, because for many facilities/laboratories it remains a voluntary process.

Types Of Vascular Exams

The ICAVL is a nonprofit organization established to provide a mechanism for the accreditation of facilities that perform comprehensive testing for vascular disease with noninvasive testing modalities.

Excerpts of this information are taken from the Society for Vascular Ultrasound's five copyrighted patient education brochures, including "Vascular Testing and You." Vascular laboratories interested in ordering copies of patient education brochures from the Society of Vascular Ultrasound can obtain more information here.

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What To Expect During Your Vascular Examination
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Patient Information: Glossary Of Terms
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