How vascular surgeons use noninvasive testing.

A questionnaire was used to determine the patterns of use of noninvasive testing by vascular surgeons. The 494 respondents had been in practice an average of 18 years. Many of the examinations were done outside the office; 85% of laboratories used were hospital facilities. In the area of cerebrovascular testing the ocular pneumoplethysmographic techniques and the periorbital Doppler test continued to be used extensively; however, the acceptance of new technology was confirmed by the finding that 71% used some form of imaging. Arterial insufficiency of the legs was most commonly evaluated with segmental Doppler pressures and stress testing was used only in selected cases. Noninvasive tests were widely used postoperatively for the follow-up of patients. Most venous testing was aimed at the detection of acute deep venous thrombosis, and venous Doppler examination and impedance phlebography were the most widely used techniques. The data from this study document the patterns of use of the vascular laboratory. Unexpected findings included the widespread use of imaging (especially duplex scanning) and the frequent use of multiple tests for cerebrovascular evaluation.