Our team of vascular medicine specialists and vascular surgeons provide you with a range of vascular health screening options. Noninvasive vascular screenings identify irregularities, which can be linked to a particular vascular disease. For example, during a carotid artery disease screening, an ultrasound determines if cholesterol has built up in the arteries in the neck. By identifying potential vascular disease, you can determine a treatment plan before the disease progresses. Left untreated, vascular disease increases your risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health issues.
If you have any questions about vascular health screenings, please call 414-955-1800.
We screen for these vascular diseases.
Peripheral Artery Disease
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common circulatory problem affecting more than 8 million people in the United States. If left untreated, PAD can lead to increased risk for heart attack or stroke.
The most common PAD screening is an ankle-brachial index (ABI). An ABI is a noninvasive, painless test that compares blood pressure in your ankle with blood pressure in your arm while you are at rest. The test takes about 15 minutes to complete. If your doctor can feel pulses in your feet during a routine physical exam, then you don’t need this test.
Carotid Artery Disease
Your carotid arteries are the two large blood vessels in your neck that supply blood to your brain. If these arteries become clogged with cholesterol, they become dangerously narrow and increase your risk of stroke.
To screen for carotid artery disease (CAD), a vascular team member uses ultrasound technology to create images of the carotid arteries while measuring blood flow through them. These images are interpreted by our vascular team to determine the likelihood of CAD. The test takes about 15 minutes to complete.
While the majority of patients with asymptomatic carotid blockages will never need surgery, these blockages can point to a more serious health condition such as heart disease.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a ballooning of the abdominal aorta – the artery that carries blood to the lower part of the body. This potentially life-threatening condition is also known as a silent killer, because many people do not experience symptoms. Research suggests more than one million people are living today with an undiagnosed AAA.
The most common abdominal aortic aneurysm screening is an abdominal ultrasound. During the exam, our vascular team member uses a transducer on your abdomen, moving from one area to another. The transducer sends images to a computer screen to check for a potential aneurysm. The test takes about 20 minutes to complete.
Who Needs Vascular Screening
Vascular health screenings are recommended for adult patients over the age of 65 who have a history of smoking, or a family history of vascular disease. In some cases it may be recommended that you participate in a screening before 65, particularly if you have very specific risk factors associated with vascular disease. Talk to your primary care doctor if you have questions about whether you should be screened for vascular disease.
Vascular Screening Cost
In most cases, your screening will be covered by insurance.
Location
Vascular screenings are available by appointment at the Center for Advanced Care on the Froedtert Hospital campus. To learn more about our vascular screenings or to schedule an appointment, call 414-955-1800.
Our Cardiovascular Program continues to receive recognition as one of the top programs nationally. We are honored to provide high-quality, effective care for even the most high-risk patients.
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Check Out Our Heart and Vascular Program Awards and Recognition
In its 2024 Specialty Excellence Awards, Healthgrades recognized Froedtert Hospital as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention, as well as other specialty achievements in various areas.
For the second year in a row, Froedtert Hospital was identified as one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals™ according to an independent quality analysis based on a balanced scorecard provided by PINC AI™, and reported by Fortune. The hospitals recognized in the top 50 operated at lower cost and had better outcomes, recording significantly higher inpatient survival rates, fewer patients with complications, lower readmission rates and up to nearly $10,000 less in total costs per patient case. According to the study’s analysis, if all hospitals operated at the level of this year’s top performers, there could be 7,600 fewer deaths due to heart disease, 6,700 fewer bypass and angioplasty patients who suffer complications, and more than $1 billion in costs saved for the 2024 study year. Froedtert Hospital was ranked in the category of top teaching hospitals with a cardiovascular residency program. In this cohort of hospitals, Froedtert Hospital was ranked No. 4 in the country. No other hospital in Wisconsin was recognized with this national distinction.
The Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI) has awarded Froedtert Hospital three out of three stars for its active participation in the Registry Participation Program. The mission of the SVS VQI is to improve patient safety and the quality of vascular care delivery by providing web-based collection, aggregation and analysis of clinical data submitted in registry format for all patients undergoing specific vascular treatments. The VQI operates 14 vascular registries.
The American Heart Association recognized Froedtert Hospital with its Get With the Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Award. In addition, the hospital was recognized on the AHA’s Target: Heart Failure(SM) Honor Roll and received the AHA’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award.
The American Heart Association also recognized Froedtert Hospital with its Get With the Guidelines® — Coronary Artery Disease Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Silver Plus and Mission: Lifeline NSTEMI Silver awards. These awards demonstrate our commitment to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks.
The American Heart Association recognized Froedtert Hospital with its Get With the Guidelines® AFib Gold Award.
The Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) and Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Froedtert Hospital have each received a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. This award recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Receiving this national three-year award with gold, silver and bronze designations, marks a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and achieving a healthy work environment.
