Venous Duplex Ultrasound Exam for Varicose Veins

What is a venous duplex ultrasound?

A duplex ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to look inside your legs. A small handheld probe is moved over the skin with gel, and the machine builds an image from returning echoes. It works in two ways at once, hence "duplex":

• B-mode imaging shows the vein's structure: its size, its walls, whether it is twisted, and whether there is any clot inside.
• Doppler measures blood movement. On screen, color shows which direction blood is flowing and how fast. A trace shows how long any backward flow lasts.

LEDAS describes vascular ultrasound as the most accurate way to diagnose blood vessels for varicose vein care. It needs no needles, no contrast dye and no radiation, so it can be repeated as often as necessary.

Why is ultrasound so important for varicose veins?

What you see on the skin is usually the end of the problem, not the start. Bulging branches are fed by leaking valves higher up, often in the great or small saphenous vein, or in perforator veins hidden in the muscle. Treating only what is visible tends to fail.

Dr. Kim Byoung Joon links many recurrences to incomplete diagnosis : if every affected vessel is not mapped accurately, treatment is incomplete and veins return. Accuracy depends on two things: the experience of the person scanning, and the quality of the equipment. That is why every LEDAS treatment plan starts here. Read why varicose veins come back .

What happens during the exam at LEDAS?

1. Preparation. You change into shorts in a changing room. No fasting or special preparation is needed.
2. A quick guide to the screen. Before scanning, staff show you how to read the monitor, so you can follow along.
3. Standing scan. You stand on a table designed by LEDAS for standing-position vein exams. Standing matters: gravity makes leaking valves show their reflux clearly.
4. Provocation tests. The doctor may squeeze your calf or ask you to bear down briefly. When the squeeze is released, healthy valves snap shut; leaking ones let blood fall back. See venous reflux testing explained .
5. Deep veins too. The deep veins are checked for normal flow and any signs of a current or old clot.
6. Live explanation. Dr. Kim Byoung Joon explains findings in real time on the large monitor. The whole exam takes about 15–20 minutes.

What does the ultrasound tell you?

• Whether venous reflux is present, and in which veins
• How far the reflux extends, from its starting point down the leg
• Vein diameters, which affect the treatment choice
• Perforator veins that may be leaking
• Whether the deep veins are healthy, which is essential before closing surface veins
• Any clot, past or present

This map becomes the basis for your treatment plan : which veins to close with EVLT , which with duplex-guided sclerotherapy , and which need no treatment at all.

Is ultrasound used after diagnosis too?

Yes, at three stages. During treatment it guides the laser fiber and injections to the exact spot. Immediately afterward it confirms the vein is closed. In the long term, the LEDAS follow-up program repeats the scan every one to two years, or whenever an overseas patient visits Korea, to catch new reflux early.

How much does the exam cost?

At LEDAS the first visit, including specialist consultation and leg ultrasound, costs 180,000 KRW. Any treatment quote is given after the scan, because cost depends on what it finds. Korean National Health Insurance holders should check coverage with the international coordinator. See first visit and ultrasound fee .

Duplex ultrasound vs other ways to check leg veins

Venous duplex ultrasound – frequently asked questions