Logbook

Before being approved to sit the Fellowship examination, candidates are required to submit an ultrasound logbook using the format linked here, that includes 100 hours of scanning, and should cover a wide variety of ultrasound examinations. No more than 20 ultrasound hours can be procedure-based ultrasound (e.g ultrasound guided puncture, endovenous procedures, ultrasound guided sclerotherapy).

Trainees should be able to perform the following scans:

  • Carotid duplex
  • Venous mapping (for conduit)
  • Lower limb arterial duplex
  • Treadmill test
  • Bypass graft surveillance
  • DVT scan
  • Abdominal aorta scan for AAA

Trainees should have some experience in, but not necessarily be able to perform:

  • Venous insufficiency duplex
  • Renal/mesenteric artery duplex
  • Aorto-iliac duplex

Casebook

A casebook containing ten cases to illustrate the breadth and quality of the trainee’s work is required. Cases involving an examination reported as normal should not be included.

In preparing the casebook, which is to be constructed and compiled by the candidates themselves, each case presentation should give details of the request, copies of a limited number of images in digital format, a copy of the report issued, and a short commentary (not exceeding 500 words). The commentary should focus on how the scan was conducted and why (in particular the positional/probe/technical techniques to achieve the best images), how the examination assisted in diagnosis of the pathology and/or management of clinical condition, and briefly mention any relevant operative or pathology outcomes. The commentary should be prepared with the care required for a published paper, and references listed in the format prescribed for current refereed journals. Pages cited should be specified and the latest edition of a textbook quoted.

For Trainees commencing from 2022 the following is a list of the examinations that are required in the case series:

(1) Carotid Ultrasound

(2) Lower Limb Venous Incompetence Study

(3) Lower Limb DVT Ultrasound

(4) Aorto-iliac Arterial Ultrasound

(5) EVAR (with endoleak or other graft issue)

(6) Lower Limb Arterial Ultrasound

(7) Lower Limb Bypass Graft Surveillance (with an issue)

(8) Renal or Mesenteric Artery Ultrasound

(9) AV Fistula (with an issue requiring intervention)

(10) Upper Limb Arterial Ultrasound

For information, a sample case for carotid arterial disease.

For information, a sample case for venous insufficiency. 

Tutorials

The online trainee tutorials titled Principles of  Ultrasound I and II are devoted to vascular ultrasound.

Fellowship Examination

Vascular ultrasound will be an integral part of the examination. Candidates may expect questions on vascular ultrasound in the written examination, in particular relating to:

  • Ultrasound physics
  • Biological effects
  • Artifacts and their cause
  • The clinical value and limitations of ultrasound

Candidates may also expect to answer questions on vascular ultrasound in the long case and in the anatomy/imaging viva.