Compare before you book
Which men's health scan do you need?
Four scans are built specifically around men's symptoms and screening, and the general medical scans on this site are open to men as well. This comparison shows what each one covers, what it costs and how to prepare.
| Scan | Price | Time | Best for | Preparation |
|---|
| Testicular (scrotal) ultrasound | £235 | 20 min | A lump, swelling, ache or heaviness in the scrotum; varicocele; hydrocele | None |
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| Kidneys, bladder and prostate | £235 | 30 min | Urinary symptoms, weak flow, frequency, incomplete emptying; includes a post-void residual | Arrive with a comfortably full bladder |
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| Well man scan | £500 | 45 min | A periodic check of abdomen, urinary tract and prostate, aorta and testes | Four-hour fast and a full bladder |
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| Men's full body scan | £785 | 60 min | Six organ systems in one visit, including thyroid and carotid arteries | Fasting and a full bladder |
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| Upper abdominal scan | £235 | 20 min | Liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen and kidneys; pain, bloating, abnormal liver tests | Four to six hour fast |
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| Hernia scan | £235 | 20 min | A groin or abdominal bulge, or pain when lifting or coughing | None |
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A testicular lump or swelling
The testicular ultrasound is the first-line test for any lump, swelling or ache in the scrotum. It separates the common, harmless causes, such as a cyst of the epididymis, a hydrocele or a varicocele, from the small minority of solid lumps within the testis that need urgent specialist referral, and the report says which it is in plain terms. Ultrasound alone does not give a final diagnosis of a solid lump, so if one is found the report will direct you to the right next step. The scan takes about 20 minutes, needs no preparation and is performed in a private room. Two situations should not wait for a booked scan: sudden severe testicular pain, which can be torsion and is a surgical emergency, and severe pain after an injury. Both belong in A&E.
Urinary symptoms: kidneys, bladder and prostate
Weak flow, going more often, getting up at night or a feeling of incomplete emptying are usually prostate or bladder questions. The kidneys, bladder and prostate scan measures prostate size, checks both kidneys and the bladder wall, and measures how much urine is left after you pass water, the post-void residual, which is the figure a urologist or GP most wants to see. It is a 30-minute abdominal scan, not an internal examination, and it does not replace a PSA blood test or a specialist review when those are indicated; it adds the structural picture to them.
Well man scan or full body?
The well man scan combines four examinations that men most often ask about after 40: the upper abdomen, the urinary tract and prostate, the abdominal aorta and the testes, in about 45 minutes for £500. The men's full body scan widens that to six organ systems by adding the thyroid and neck and the carotid arteries, in a 60-minute appointment for £785. Choose the full body scan if you want the vascular and thyroid checks included, or have a family history of stroke, aneurysm or thyroid disease; choose the well man scan for a focused annual baseline. With a single specific symptom, the individual scan for that area is the better use of the appointment.
General medical scans for men
Men book the upper abdominal scan for pain under the ribs, bloating or abnormal liver blood tests, the hernia scan for a groin bulge, and the lumps and bumps scan for any soft-tissue swelling elsewhere. All three are £235 and are listed on the general medical page with their preparation.
Preparation and what you receive
Testicular, hernia and lumps scans need no preparation. The abdominal component of any scan needs a four to six hour fast with water allowed, and any scan that includes the bladder or prostate needs a comfortably full bladder, so drink about a litre of water in the hour before. Every appointment ends with verbal results from the clinician who performed the scan, followed by a written report with images within 24 hours that you can take to your GP or a specialist.
Still not sure?Sudden severe testicular pain, blood in the urine with fever, or an inability to pass urine need urgent care rather than a booked scan. Use the Scan Advisor, call 020 3633 4902, or book the scan that matches your main symptom: the clinician will tell you on the day if a different examination would answer your question better.
