Private Carotid Ultrasound Scan

A Carotid Ultrasound Scan is a safe, painless, and non-invasive assessment that uses Doppler ultrasound technology to evaluate the carotid arteries on both sides of your neck. The carotid arteries are the major blood vessels that supply blood to your brain.

The scan measures blood flow velocity through each carotid artery, any narrowing (stenosis) of the arterial walls, and plaque build-up or changes in the arterial wall.

It is also known as a carotid doppler or carotid artery scan.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, every private Carotid Ultrasound Scan is performed by a Specialist Doctor who explains your results on the same day. No GP referral is needed to book.

A Carotid Ultrasound Scan can detect Carotid stenosis (narrowing of the carotid arteries), Carotid artery disease (the presence and severity of atherosclerotic plaque), blood flow velocity changes used to grade the degree of narrowing, and plaque morphology, including whether plaque appears stable or potentially vulnerable.

These findings help your Specialist Doctor assess your vascular health and, where appropriate, correlate the degree of stenosis with stroke risk.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, your results are explained to you face to face on the same day. You also receive a Full Medical Report that can be shared with your GP or referring consultant.

You should consider a Carotid Ultrasound Scan if:

• You have had a TIA (transient ischaemic attack) or mini stroke

• You have been told you have Carotid artery disease or a carotid bruit (an abnormal sound heard with a stethoscope)

• You have risk factors for stroke, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or a family history of stroke

• You have had a previous carotid endarterectomy or stenting and need follow-up monitoring

• You are experiencing symptoms such as sudden weakness on one side, vision changes, or difficulty speaking

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, no GP referral is needed and you will receive Same-Day Results from a Specialist Doctor. If you are unsure whether a Carotid Ultrasound Scan is right for you, our booking team can help.

Both a Carotid Ultrasound Scan and a CT angiography (CTA) assess the carotid arteries, but they use different technology and provide different types of information.

A Carotid Ultrasound Scan uses Doppler ultrasound to measure blood flow velocity in real time, assess plaque characteristics, and grade stenosis. It involves no radiation and no contrast dye.

A CTA uses X-ray radiation and an injected iodinated contrast dye to produce detailed 3D images of the blood vessels, including intracranial vessels that ultrasound cannot reach.

NICE guidelines recommend carotid ultrasound as the first-line investigation, with CTA used as a confirmatory or second-line test when additional anatomical detail is needed.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, your Specialist Doctor can advise which investigation is most appropriate for your situation and, if needed, recommend further imaging as part of your Tailored Advice.

Carotid stenosis is the narrowing of one or both carotid arteries, usually caused by a build-up of atherosclerotic plaque on the arterial wall.

It is diagnosed primarily through carotid doppler ultrasound, which measures blood flow velocity through the narrowed segment. Higher velocities indicate greater narrowing.

The degree of stenosis is graded using established clinical criteria (NASCET or ECST). The grade determines whether medical management, monitoring, or surgical intervention is recommended.

A Carotid Ultrasound Scan is the recommended first-line investigation for diagnosing and grading carotid stenosis. At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, you can book directly without a GP referral and receive your stenosis grading from a Specialist Doctor on the same day.

Yes. If you have had a TIA (transient ischaemic attack), sometimes called a mini stroke, carotid assessment is a recommended part of the clinical investigation.

A private Carotid Ultrasound Scan checks whether significant narrowing or plaque in your carotid arteries contributed to the event. This is clinically important because Carotid artery disease accounts for approximately 20% of all ischaemic strokes. Identifying significant stenosis allows your medical team to take preventive action.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, if you have had a TIA and have not yet had your carotid arteries assessed, you can book a private Carotid Ultrasound Scan directly without a GP referral and receive Same-Day Results from a Specialist Doctor.

A Carotid Ultrasound Scan does not diagnose an active stroke. Stroke diagnosis requires urgent assessment in a hospital, typically using CT or MRI brain imaging.

What a Carotid Ultrasound Scan does is assess the carotid arteries for narrowing, plaque, and reduced blood flow. These are known risk factors for stroke. By identifying significant Carotid stenosis, the scan helps your medical team assess your stroke risk and take preventive action.

If you are currently experiencing stroke symptoms, including sudden weakness, difficulty speaking, or facial drooping, call 999 immediately. Do not wait for an outpatient scan.

If you want to assess your stroke risk factors, you can book a Carotid Ultrasound Scan at Harley Street Ultrasound Group without a GP referral.

Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty deposits (plaque) build up on the inner walls of your arteries, causing them to narrow and harden over time. It is one of the most common causes of cardiovascular disease and is the underlying process behind most cases of Carotid artery disease.

A Carotid Ultrasound Scan can directly visualise atherosclerotic plaque within the carotid arteries. It assesses plaque size, shape, and surface characteristics, how much the plaque is narrowing the artery, and whether plaque appears stable or potentially vulnerable.

This makes carotid ultrasound an effective tool for detecting and monitoring atherosclerosis in the neck arteries.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, your Specialist Doctor will explain any plaque findings during your appointment and provide a Full Medical Report for your records.

A Carotid Ultrasound Scan typically takes between 20 and 30 minutes. This includes assessment of both carotid arteries using Doppler technology to measure blood flow and identify any narrowing or plaque.

There is no recovery time. You can return to your normal activities immediately after your scan.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, your Specialist Doctor will explain your results as part of the appointment. The time you spend with us includes both the scan and a full discussion of your findings. You will leave with Same-Day Results and a Full Medical Report.

No. You do not need a GP referral to book a Carotid Ultrasound Scan at Harley Street Ultrasound Group. You can self-refer by contacting our booking team directly or booking online.

If you do have a referral from your GP, Vascular Surgeon, Neurologist, or Stroke Physician, please bring it along to your appointment. It provides helpful clinical context for your Specialist Doctor.

A Carotid Ultrasound Scan using carotid doppler technology has been extensively validated against angiography. It is recognised as a highly accurate method for grading Carotid stenosis.

Established velocity criteria allow reliable classification of stenosis severity into clinically meaningful categories. NICE recommends carotid ultrasound as the first-line investigation for suspected Carotid artery disease, reflecting confidence in its diagnostic accuracy.

Large-scale clinical trials (NASCET and ECST) have established a clear relationship between the degree of carotid stenosis and stroke risk, and carotid ultrasound is the primary tool used to perform this grading. The Stroke Association reports that Carotid artery disease accounts for approximately 20% of all ischaemic strokes, making early detection through ultrasound screening one of the most significant modifiable risk factors.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, where the degree of stenosis falls near a surgical threshold, your Specialist Doctor may recommend confirmatory imaging with CT or MR angiography before any intervention is planned. This forms part of the Tailored Advice you receive at every appointment.

If your Carotid Ultrasound Scan at Harley Street Ultrasound Group identifies significant Carotid stenosis, your Specialist Doctor will explain the degree of narrowing, what it means for your health, and the recommended next steps.

Management depends on the severity. Mild stenosis may be managed with lifestyle changes and medication (such as statins and blood pressure control). Moderate to severe stenosis may require referral to a Vascular Surgeon to discuss whether surgical intervention (carotid endarterectomy) or stenting is appropriate.

Your Full Medical Report will include all the clinical data needed for onward referral, and our team can help coordinate any follow-up appointments.

Yes. A private Carotid Ultrasound Scan is one of the most direct ways to assess your stroke risk. The scan looks specifically at the arteries in your neck that supply blood to your brain, identifying narrowing (stenosis), plaque build-up, and changes in blood flow — all of which are established stroke risk factors.

Many patients book a carotid duplex as part of a wider vascular screening or cardiovascular check, particularly if they have risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, or a family history of stroke. The scan is non-invasive, painless, and radiation-free.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, your Specialist Doctor will explain your results on the same day and provide Tailored Advice on lifestyle, monitoring, or further investigation as appropriate.

A carotid bruit is an abnormal whooshing sound a doctor may hear with a stethoscope over the side of your neck. It can indicate turbulent blood flow caused by narrowing of the carotid artery, although it is not always a reliable sign on its own.

If your GP or consultant has detected a bruit, a private Carotid Ultrasound Scan (also called a carotid duplex or neck artery scan) is the recommended next step. The scan will confirm whether there is significant narrowing, measure blood flow velocity, and characterise any arterial plaque.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, no GP referral is needed and your Specialist Doctor will explain the findings on the same day, including whether further investigation or specialist referral is recommended.

Yes. Carotid stenting is a procedure used to widen a narrowed carotid artery, and ongoing surveillance is standard clinical practice. A Carotid Ultrasound Scan is the recommended first-line tool to monitor the patency of a carotid stent, assess blood flow through the stented segment, and detect any restenosis (re-narrowing) over time.

The scan is non-invasive, radiation-free, and can be safely repeated at the intervals recommended by your Vascular Surgeon — typically at 1 month, 6 months, and then annually, although your specialist may advise otherwise.

At Harley Street Ultrasound Group, you can book follow-up surveillance scans directly without a new GP referral. Your Specialist Doctor will provide a Full Medical Report that can be shared with your Vascular Surgeon or referring consultant.