Vascular~30–45 min
Venous Reflux Test
A specialized standing ultrasound that identifies faulty valves in your leg veins, finding the root cause of varicose veins.
Venous reflux assessment is a dedicated standing duplex ultrasound that maps incompetent superficial and perforating veins — the essential pre-treatment investigation for varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency, and pelvic congestion syndrome.
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Performed while standing, the venous reflux test precisely maps out faulty valves responsible for varicose veins and leg swelling.
Finding the Faulty Valves
Healthy leg veins have one-way valves that push blood upward against gravity. When those valves fail, blood falls back down and pools — venous reflux — and over years this produces varicose veins, aching, swelling, and eventually skin damage around the ankle.
The venous reflux test is a duplex ultrasound done specifically to map which veins are leaking and where. It is the essential planning step before any varicose vein treatment: without it, treating the visible veins alone almost guarantees they come back.
The venous reflux test is a duplex ultrasound done specifically to map which veins are leaking and where. It is the essential planning step before any varicose vein treatment: without it, treating the visible veins alone almost guarantees they come back.
Why It Is Done Standing
Reflux is a gravity problem, so it only shows up properly when you are upright. You stand on a small platform, holding a support, while the probe is moved from the groin down to the ankle. The sonographer squeezes and releases your calf every few centimetres and watches which way the blood moves — a normal valve stops the backflow within half a second, a leaky one lets it run on. It is painless and takes 30 to 45 minutes.
What the Map Shows
The report identifies exactly which veins are involved:
- Reflux in the great saphenous vein at the groin — the commonest source, feeding varicosities down the inner thigh and calf
- Reflux in the small saphenous vein behind the knee — feeding bulges on the back of the calf
- Leaky perforating veins that connect the deep and surface systems
- Any deep vein scarring from a previous clot, which changes the treatment plan
When We Recommend One in Singapore
A reflux study is worthwhile whenever varicose veins are more than a cosmetic concern.
- Aching, heaviness, itching or swelling in the legs, worse at the end of the day
- Visible varicose veins you are considering having treated
- Skin discolouration, eczema or an ulcer around the ankle
- Varicose veins that have come back after previous surgery or injections
- Privately in Singapore a venous reflux scan costs roughly SGD 250 to SGD 450, and treatment for symptomatic reflux is often Medisave- and insurance-claimable
What the Result Guides
The map determines the treatment. A single refluxing saphenous vein is ideally suited to endovenous ablation — a keyhole, walk-in-walk-out procedure that seals the vein from the inside. Branch varicosities are dealt with by foam sclerotherapy or tiny avulsions. A normal deep system means the superficial veins can be treated safely. Dr. Chang uses the findings, alongside your symptoms and the CEAP severity grade, to recommend a specific plan rather than a generic one.
Venous Reflux Test: Common Questions
Ready to Schedule Your Venous Reflux Test?
Most evaluations are available on the same day as your consultation with Dr. Peter Chang at Paragon Medical Centre, Singapore.