Dr. Akanksha Bajpai
Radiologist
- MBBS, MD
- Ex. PGI Chandigarh
- Ex Consultant, Fortis Hospital, Mohali
Her profile supports diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, radiology and patient-focused interpretation.
Read her profileDiagnostic Imaging • Gomti Nagar
Colour Doppler Ultrasound Test in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow
Colour Doppler shows how blood moves through your arteries and veins. It is used for leg, neck, kidney, scrotal and pregnancy questions, at our centre in Vijayant Khand.
- Vijayant Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow
- Mon to Sat 9 AM to 8 PM, Sun 10 AM to 2 PM
- Time
- Often 20 to 45 minutes
- Preparation
- Usually none; fasting for kidney
- Radiation
- None, no injection or dye
- Bring
- Prescription and earlier reports
What Colour Doppler adds to a standard scan
A standard ultrasound shows the shape and size of a vessel or organ. Colour Doppler shows what is moving inside it. The probe picks up the change in sound as it bounces off moving blood. The machine turns that change into colour on the screen and a trace of speed beneath it.
The colours show direction relative to the probe. They do not tell an artery from a vein. The radiologist reads the colour map and the speed trace together. A narrowing makes blood speed up, a blockage leaves a gap in the colour, and a leaking vein valve shows blood flowing backwards.
Doppler has limits. Heavy calcium in an artery wall, a very deep vessel, bowel gas or a patient who cannot lie still can make flow hard to measure. If the answer is unclear, your doctor may suggest a CT angiogram or another test. We do not have a CT scanner, so ask your doctor where to have it done. We can review the images afterwards.
Arterial or venous: which leg Doppler?
An arterial Doppler checks the vessels that carry blood down to the leg. A venous Doppler checks the veins that bring it back. They answer different questions, so a wrong booking wastes a visit. Start from your symptom.
- Calf pain on walking that eases with rest, cold or pale feet, or a foot sore that is slow to heal: an arterial Doppler. It is asked for often in people with diabetes, raised blood pressure or a long smoking history.
- One swollen, tender calf or thigh, especially after surgery, a long flight or bed rest: a venous Doppler, to look for a clot in a deep vein (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT). A new swelling like this needs a doctor the same day. See the warning signs below.
- Twisted veins, heavy legs, ankle swelling or darkening skin near the ankle: a venous Doppler, often done standing, to check the vein valves for leaking. The result helps your doctor decide whether varicose vein treatment is worth considering.
Both legs are often scanned so the radiologist can compare them. In a person with a diabetic foot ulcer, the arterial study is often an early step before a doctor discusses diabetic foot angioplasty or other ways to restore blood flow.
Carotid, renal, scrotal and pregnancy Doppler
Four other studies are asked for often. Each looks at one set of vessels.
- Carotid Doppler: the two large arteries in the neck that supply the brain. Doctors ask for it after a mini-stroke, for a murmur heard over the neck, or in people with several vascular risk factors. It looks for plaque and narrowing.
- Renal Doppler: the arteries and veins of the kidneys. It is asked for when blood pressure stays high despite medicines, or when kidney function falls without a clear reason. The aim is to find a narrowed kidney artery.
- Scrotal Doppler: blood flow to the testicles. It is used for scrotal pain or swelling, a lump, and a varicocele (enlarged veins above the testicle) that may matter in male fertility problems. If a varicocele needs treatment, varicocele embolization is one option doctors discuss.
- Obstetric Doppler: blood flow in the umbilical cord, the baby's brain vessels and the mother's uterine arteries. It is used mainly in the second half of pregnancy, when a baby is measuring small or the mother has raised blood pressure. It is part of the scans on our pregnancy ultrasound page.
Doppler of other organs is possible when your doctor asks for it. Send us the prescription and the team will confirm.
Is Colour Doppler safe?
Yes. Doppler uses the same sound waves as any ultrasound, so there is no radiation, no needle and no contrast dye. It can be repeated when a doctor needs to follow a problem over time. In pregnancy it is done when there is a reason, and the probe is kept on the baby only as long as the question needs.
Doppler studies and how to prepare
These are the studies doctors ask for most often. The note under each one is the usual preparation, and the team confirms the study and the preparation when you book.
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Arterial Doppler, legs or arms
No fasting. Wear loose clothing that rolls up above the knee or elbow.
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Venous Doppler, legs
No fasting. You may be asked to stand for part of the scan.
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Carotid Doppler
No fasting. Remove necklaces and wear an open collar.
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Renal Doppler
Fasting for about six hours before. Small sips of water are usually fine.
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Scrotal Doppler
A selected-organ study, confirmed when you book. No fasting. Wear clothing that is easy to adjust.
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Usually nothing beyond the pregnancy scan. Confirm when you book.
What happens during the study
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1
Booking
Send the prescription on WhatsApp. The team confirms the exact study, which side or sides are to be scanned, and whether you need to fast.
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2
Getting ready
You loosen or change clothing over the area and lie on a couch. For some vein studies of the leg, you also stand holding a support.
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3
The scan
Warm gel is spread on the skin and the probe is moved along the vessel. You will hear a whooshing sound, which is the blood flow turned into audio. The radiologist may press lightly on a vein, ask you to squeeze your calf, or ask you to breathe in and hold.
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4
Your report
The radiologist writes up the flow findings and measurements. Ask the team how and when the report will reach you.
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5
Back to your doctor
Take the report to the doctor who sent you. Treatment, a repeat scan or another test is decided from the whole picture, not from the Doppler alone.
Preparation and aftercare
Before your visit
- Leg, neck and scrotal studies: no fasting. Eat and drink as usual.
- Kidney and other abdominal vessel studies: do not eat for about six hours before. Small sips of water are usually fine. If you have diabetes or take insulin, tell the team when you book.
- Wear loose clothing that can be rolled up or opened without undressing fully.
- Do not stop prescribed medicines unless your doctor tells you to.
Please bring
- Your doctor's prescription, with the side to be scanned
- Earlier Doppler, ultrasound or angiogram reports
- A list of your medicines, including any blood thinners
After your visit
- Wipe off the gel and carry on with your day. There is no recovery time.
- Keep the report with your earlier scans. Vessel findings are compared over time.
- Take the report to your doctor soon, especially if the scan was for a swollen leg or a cold foot.
- If symptoms get worse before you see your doctor, use the warning signs below rather than waiting.
Do not wait for a booking if you have these
Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department if you have:
- A leg or arm that suddenly turns cold, pale or blue, with severe pain or numbness.
- A newly swollen, painful, warm leg, particularly with breathlessness, chest pain or coughing up blood.
- Sudden weakness or numbness on one side, a drooping face, slurred speech or loss of vision in one eye.
- Sudden severe pain in a testicle, with or without swelling, nausea or vomiting. The testicle can lose its blood supply within hours, so this is an emergency.
- Much less baby movement than usual in late pregnancy.
Meet our radiologist
Colour Doppler: common questions
Is Colour Doppler a separate machine from an ultrasound?
No. Doppler is a mode of ultrasound, not a different kind of test. A routine scan shows structure. Doppler adds the movement of blood inside that structure. Many reports combine both, so the study can take longer than a routine scan.
Does a Colour Doppler hurt?
No. You feel warm gel and light pressure from the probe. Over a tender, swollen calf the radiologist may press a little more firmly, so say if it is sore. For some arterial leg studies, a blood pressure cuff is inflated around the ankle or thigh for a short time, which feels like a tight squeeze.
Do I need to fast for a Doppler?
Only for studies of the kidney and other abdominal vessels, where you should not eat for about six hours. Leg, neck and scrotal Doppler need no fasting. We confirm the instructions when you book.
Can a Doppler find a blood clot in the leg?
Yes. A venous Doppler is the usual test for a clot in the deep veins of the leg. If you have a new, painful, swollen leg, do not wait for a routine slot. See a doctor the same day, and tell the team if you are booking a scan after being advised.
Can Colour Doppler be done in pregnancy?
Yes. Obstetric Doppler is used when a doctor has a question about the baby's growth or the mother's blood pressure. It is not part of every pregnancy scan, and it is mostly used in the second half of pregnancy.
Do I need a prescription for a Colour Doppler?
A prescription helps, because its wording decides the study, the side and the preparation. If you do not have one, message the team first. They will also tell you the fee and the report timing when you book.
Where can I get a Colour Doppler near Kathauta Chauraha?
The centre is at 4/12, Vijayant Khand, near Kathauta Chauraha, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow 226010, and you can reach it from Indira Nagar and Gomti Nagar Extension. WhatsApp the prescription to +91 70809 82920 or call 0522-3180995, and the team will confirm which Doppler study, which side and whether you need to fast.
Related services
Tests and care that often go together
Appointments
Book Colour Doppler Ultrasound in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow
Message us on WhatsApp or call the centre. Tell us the test you need and your preferred day, and the team will confirm the details.
4/12, Vijayant Khand, Gomti Nagar · 0522-3180995
