Preparation You must refrain from smoking for at least one hour before the test. If you have walked to the testing place, you must rest for at least 20 minutes before the test. You remove any clothing covering your legs and recline on an examination table with your extremities at the same level as your heart. The technologist examines your legs and checks your pulse at several points. Each cuff is inflated in turn in order to measure blood volume in the arteries.
Clear gel is applied to the legs to help conduct sound waves.
The blood pressure cuffs are tightened slightly, and an ultrasound transducer shaped like a pencil is held against the skin in various locations to measure blood pressure. You may be asked to walk on a treadmill for a few minutes wearing the ankle cuff while additional readings are taken. After the test You are free to resume regular activities. Factors affecting results In obese people, a standard cuff may not fit the thigh, precluding a reading at that location. Although preliminary test results are available immediately, a vascular surgeon will examine the blood flow and pressure measurements.