Blood Pressure Won’t Respond to Medication? Get Screened at Home in South Portland.

Clinical Indications

When Your Doctor Recommends a Renal Artery Duplex

A renal artery duplex ultrasound evaluates blood flow to your kidneys through the renal arteries — the vessels that branch directly from the aorta. It is the primary non-invasive screening tool for renal artery stenosis, a condition where narrowing of one or both renal arteries restricts blood flow to the kidneys and drives resistant hypertension — high blood pressure that does not respond adequately to medication. If your blood pressure remains elevated despite taking three or more medications, or if you have experienced sudden-onset hypertension, unexplained kidney function decline, or flash pulmonary edema, renal artery duplex is the study that can identify the underlying vascular cause.

Renal artery stenosis is most commonly caused by atherosclerosis in older adults and fibromuscular dysplasia in younger patients — particularly women. Risk factors include long-standing hypertension, diabetes, smoking, peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, and an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The condition is frequently missed because its symptoms overlap with essential hypertension. However, renal artery stenosis is a treatable cause of high blood pressure — and identifying it changes the treatment plan from medication management to potential revascularization. Untreated, it can lead to ischemic nephropathy, progressive kidney failure, and the need for dialysis.

South Portland residents have limited options for renal artery duplex imaging without entering the hospital system. The nearest hospital-based labs are at Maine Medical Center (Portland) and Mercy Hospital — both requiring a physician referral, insurance pre-authorization, and often a multi-week wait for scheduling.

Why BlackPoint

Why South Portland Patients Choose BlackPoint

South Portland residents have limited options for renal artery duplex imaging without entering the hospital system. The nearest hospital-based labs are at Maine Medical Center (Portland) and Mercy Hospital — both requiring a physician referral, insurance pre-authorization, and often a multi-week wait for scheduling.

BlackPoint is different. You book directly — no referral, no insurance friction. Our sonographer, Emanuel Papadakis, RDCS, RVT, performs every scan personally with twenty years of cardiovascular imaging experience. He arrives at your home in South Portland with a Mindray diagnostic ultrasound system — the same platform used in accredited hospital labs — and performs a comprehensive renal artery duplex in approximately 30 minutes.

Every study is reviewed by a board-certified cardiologist who delivers a written clinical report in plain language within 24–48 hours. The cost is $397 flat — no surprise bills, no facility charges, no insurance games. HSA and FSA accepted.

Is This Scan Right For You?

Who Should Get a Renal Artery Duplex

You do not need to be symptomatic to benefit from a renal artery duplex. Renal artery stenosis is frequently missed because its symptoms mimic essential hypertension. Consider scheduling if any of the following apply to you:

• Your blood pressure remains high despite three or more medications
• You have experienced sudden-onset hypertension — especially after age 55
• Your kidney function has declined without a clear explanation
• You have had an episode of flash pulmonary edema (sudden fluid in lungs)
• You have been diagnosed with peripheral artery disease or coronary artery disease
• You have a known abdominal aortic aneurysm
• You are a smoker or former smoker with difficult-to-control blood pressure
• You have asymmetric kidney size noted on a prior imaging study
• Your doctor suspects renovascular hypertension as a secondary cause

Full Service Menu

Other Screenings Available in South Portland

In addition to renal artery duplex ultrasound, BlackPoint offers a full range of cardiovascular and vascular ultrasound screenings — all mobile, all $397, all cardiologist-reviewed.