A prostate ultrasound at a private clinic is usually a transabdominal scan — performed through the lower abdomen as part of a urinary tract ultrasound. It measures the size of the prostate, checks how completely the bladder empties, and looks at the kidneys. What it cannot do is diagnose or rule out prostate cancer. This guide explains what each type of scan shows, and when further investigation is the right next step.
Many men ring us asking for “a prostate scan” — usually after a raised PSA result or because of urinary symptoms. At Sonoworld, the prostate is assessed through our kidneys, ureters and bladder ultrasound scan, and we do not currently offer a dedicated transrectal scan. For most men with urinary symptoms, the transabdominal scan answers the question they actually came with — and where it cannot, we say so plainly and recommend the right investigation.
Two kinds of ultrasound can image the prostate, and they answer different questions.
A transabdominal scan is performed through the skin of the lower abdomen, using a full bladder as a window. It is quick, painless and non-invasive. It measures prostate volume, assesses the bladder wall, checks how much urine remains after you empty your bladder (the post-void residual), and examines the kidneys for any sign of back-pressure. This is the scan performed as part of a urinary tract ultrasound at most diagnostic clinics, including Sonoworld.
A transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) places a small probe in the rectum, directly behind the prostate. It produces a more detailed image of the gland itself and is used in hospital urology settings, most often to guide a prostate biopsy. It is a specialist procedure rather than a first-line diagnostic scan — and in modern NHS and private pathways, MRI has largely taken its place as the imaging step before biopsy.
Sonoworld does not currently offer transrectal ultrasound. If your situation calls for TRUS, MRI or biopsy, we will tell you directly and your GP or urologist will arrange it.
Assessed through the urinary tract scan, the prostate examination answers four practical questions:
A transabdominal ultrasound cannot diagnose or exclude prostate cancer. Early prostate cancer rarely changes the outward size or shape of the gland, and the transabdominal view does not show the internal detail needed to identify suspicious areas reliably. A normal scan is genuinely reassuring about obstruction and bladder function — it is not an all-clear for cancer.
The investigations that address the cancer question are the PSA blood test, a specialist (usually MRI of the prostate), and where needed a biopsy. If anything in your scan, symptoms or PSA raises that question, the report will say so clearly and recommend the right onward step. We would rather send you to a urologist than leave you with false reassurance.
A raised PSA does not mean cancer. PSA rises with age, prostate size, infection, recent ejaculation, cycling, and urinary retention. This is why prostate volume from an ultrasound is useful alongside the blood result: a moderately raised PSA in a significantly enlarged prostate is a different picture from the same PSA in a small gland.
What ultrasound does not do is replace the NHS pathway for a raised PSA. If your GP has referred you to urology, keep that appointment. A private urinary tract scan can add useful information — volume, emptying, kidney status — while you wait, and the report can go directly to your GP or consultant.
At our Weymouth Street clinic, the prostate is checked as part of the urinary tract ultrasound — we do not currently offer a dedicated transrectal scan, and we tell every caller who asks for a “prostate scan” exactly that before they book. For most men, the transabdominal assessment answers the practical questions: how large the prostate is, whether the bladder is emptying, and whether the kidneys are affected.
Depending on what the urinary scan shows, we may recommend further investigation. That recommendation goes into the written report in plain terms — what was found, why it needs a closer look, and which investigation or specialist should look at it — so your GP or urologist can act on it without delay.
That is a description of how we assess and refer, not advice about your own symptoms. If you have urinary symptoms or a raised PSA, they need assessing by a clinician who can examine you.
See a doctor promptly — within days, not weeks — if you have:
Blood in the urine always warrants investigation in its own right — our guide to haematuria and when to get a scan explains the pathway.
You can book the urinary tract scan online, or browse all men's health ultrasound scans.
Not as a standalone service. At Sonoworld the prostate is assessed transabdominally as part of the kidneys, ureters and bladder ultrasound scan, which measures prostate volume, bladder emptying and kidney health. We do not currently offer transrectal ultrasound. If your situation needs TRUS, MRI or a biopsy, we will say so in the report and direct you to the right specialist.
A transabdominal ultrasound cannot reliably detect or exclude prostate cancer. Early cancer rarely changes the gland's outward appearance. The scan's job is different: measuring prostate size, bladder emptying and kidney health. The cancer question is answered by PSA testing, prostate MRI and, where needed, biopsy — and if your scan raises it, the report will recommend exactly that.
No. The transabdominal scan involves warm gel and a probe moved over the lower abdomen — nothing internal, no needles, no radiation. The only mild discomfort is arriving with a full bladder, which the scan needs as a viewing window. You empty your bladder partway through, and most men find the whole appointment easier than they expected.
A full bladder pushes the bowel aside and acts as an acoustic window, letting the sound waves reach the prostate and bladder base clearly. Drink around one litre of water an hour before your appointment and do not empty your bladder. After the first scan you will be asked to empty it, and a second scan measures how much urine remains — the post-void residual.
As a general guide, healthy bladders empty almost completely, leaving under about 50 ml. Volumes persistently above roughly 100 ml suggest the bladder is not emptying properly, often because an enlarged prostate is obstructing flow. The threshold that matters for treatment depends on your symptoms and overall picture, which is why the number is interpreted by a clinician rather than in isolation.
It adds context rather than an answer. Prostate volume matters because larger glands naturally produce more PSA, so the scan can help your doctor judge whether your PSA is proportionate to your prostate size. It does not replace the raised-PSA pathway: that runs through your GP, and usually prostate MRI and specialist review.
The kidneys, ureters and bladder ultrasound scan, including transabdominal prostate assessment, is £235 all-inclusive at our Marylebone clinic: the scan, a consultant sonographer, instant verbal results, and a written report within 24 hours. No GP referral is needed — you can book online directly.
Sonoworld is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our sonographers are registered with HCPC and are members of BMUS. All scans are performed at our Marylebone clinic: 29 Weymouth Street, London W1G 7DB.
Kidneys, bladder and prostate assessed in one appointment at our Marylebone clinic. Instant verbal results. Written report within 24 hours. No GP referral required.
Price: £235
Or call us on 020 3633 4902
