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By Mayo Clinic staffThe carotid ultrasound exam is noninvasive and painless. The exam typically lasts about 15 to 30 minutes.
Your carotid ultrasound usually is performed by a specially trained technician (a sonographer). During the exam, you lie on your back on an examination table and a small amount of warm gel is applied to your skin. The gel helps eliminate the formation of air pockets between your skin and the instrument the technician uses to see your arteries, called a transducer.
In carotid ultrasound, the sonographer presses the transducer against the sides of your neck, which sends images of your arteries to a computer screen for the technician to see. The technician monitors your blood flow through the carotid arteries on both sides of your neck to check for stenosis.
