Vascular Imaging

Vascular imaging is the detailed mapping of the body’s blood vessels — from the arteries of the brain to the vessels of the legs. Spectrum Medical Imaging provides a dedicated vascular imaging service across our Sydney practices, combining specialist vascular sonography, state-of-the-art CT angiography (CTA) and subspecialist radiologists trained in vascular interpretation.

What sets Spectrum apart is that our vascular imaging is reviewed by the same subspecialist team that performs endovascular treatment. Every study is planned and read with the next step in mind — so the images your specialist receives are not just diagnostic, they are ready to guide treatment.

Vascular Sonography

Our dedicated vascular sonography service uses duplex Doppler ultrasound to image blood vessels and measure blood flow in real time — completely non-invasive and radiation-free. Performed by experienced sonographers and reported by our vascular radiologists, these studies include carotid duplex, arterial and venous studies of the upper and lower limbs, and aneurysm surveillance.

CTA Brain

CT angiography of the brain provides dedicated vascular assessment of the intracranial circulation. A contrast injection highlights the cerebral arteries, allowing our radiologists to evaluate for aneurysm, narrowing or occlusion, and vascular malformation. Every study is reviewed on advanced 3D workstations, where the vessels can be examined from any angle.

CTA Carotid Vessels

CTA of the carotid and vertebral arteries maps the vessels that supply the brain, from their origins in the chest to the skull base. It is a key investigation in the workup of stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA): the degree and character of any carotid narrowing is precisely quantified, giving your specialist the information needed to decide between medical management and carotid intervention.

CTA Aorta — TEVAR & EVAR Workup

Spectrum performs dedicated CTA of the thoracic and abdominal aorta for the assessment of aneurysm and dissection, and for the planning of endovascular repair — TEVAR (thoracic endovascular aortic repair) and EVAR (endovascular aneurysm repair).

Sub-millimetre datasets are reconstructed in 3D with centre-line analysis, giving the treating team the precise measurements that stent-graft planning demands: aneurysm morphology, proximal and distal landing zones, branch vessel relationships and the suitability of the ilio-femoral access route.

Advanced Vascular Imaging — 4D CTA

For the most complex vascular questions, our team under Dr Hao Xiang has refined 4D CT Angiography (4D CTA). Unlike a standard CT that takes one snapshot in time, 4D CTA records a rapid series of images so we can watch how blood actually flows through the vessels — almost like a short movie of the circulation.

This extra “time” dimension is especially valuable in aortic dissection — showing where the tear starts and ends and how blood fills the false channel — and after EVAR stent-graft repair, where it can detect and fully characterise endoleaks by revealing the precise source, timing and type of leak as contrast flows in real time. Modern low-dose protocols keep the study safe.

Embolisation Planning CTA

Spectrum provides dedicated CTA protocols for the workup of prostate artery embolisation (PAE), genicular artery embolisation (GAE) and haemorrhoidal artery embolisation (HAE) — the minimally invasive treatments performed by Spectrum Interventional Radiology.

These studies receive specialist attention on the 3D workstation: the arterial anatomy is mapped in detail, variant vessel origins are identified, and key images are curated for later road-mapping on the procedural angiographic equipment. This preparation means the treating interventional radiologist begins the procedure with a personalised vascular map — shortening procedure times and reducing contrast and radiation dose for the patient.

*Please follow preparation instructions as advised by our staff at the time of scheduling your appointment.