Diagnosis, investigations and tests

Your medical team may request some of the following tests and investigations:

 

Blood tests – These will check your general health including your bone marrow, kidney and liver function. Find out more and book blood tests.

 

CT Scan - CT scans take cross sectional pictures of your body. This normally takes around 20 minutes. Intravenous contrast is often used to obtain images. Discover more about CT scans.

 

MRI Scan – MRI uses magnetism and radio waves to create a 3 dimensional picture of the body. MRI is used to gather more information in patients being considered for surgery. The scan itself normally takes around 45 minutes to one hour. Intravenous contrast is often used to obtain images. Learn more about MRI scans.

 

Endoscopic ultrasound biopsy – This involves a thin flexible tube being used to look at your bile ducts and other digestive organs. The team will take samples of tissue which will be looked at under a microscope in our laboratory. This test is usually done under sedation and you need someone to take you home afterwards. Find out more about our Endoscopy Unit and the work they do.