What is screening?

Screening is the term applied to the detection of illness or disease before it causes symptoms. Several screening programs are already widely available, for example breast screening for the detection of early breast cancers. There are several other conditions where screening may well have a role but are not widely available in the NHS.

Aortic aneuysm screening: The main blood vessel in the abdomen can enalrge. This usually happens without any symptoms and if it stretches too far can become difficult to treat. We are pleased to offer a simple and quick ultrasound of this blood vessel to rule out the condition. There is no preparation and the scan takes 5-10 minutes.

Ovarian abnormalities: Many ladies worry about ovarian cancer. Although rare, ovarian cancers can grow to be very large before they cause problems. We are able to offer a simple pelvic ultrasound to rule out an ovarian abnormality. This may be of particular benefit where there is a family history of ovarian tumours. Scans are best obtained with a full bladder, but other than this there is no prepartaion needed and the test only takes 10-15 minutes.

Osteoporosis screening: Osteoporosis or fragile bones are a common cause of illness, particularly in more elderly female patients. The risk is especially high in patients on long term steroid tharpay or where there is a history of an early menopause. Everybodies bones gradually weaken with age, but if this process is accelerated the chances of sustaining a fracture is increased. These fractures particularly involve the hips and spine and can cause significant problems. Your bone density can be very easliy assessed with a simple scan (DEXA). Should your bones be found to be thin there are treatments available to halt the loss of bone mass and modify your risk of complcations.

Please contact us for more details or to arrange an appointment.