Scans and tests your GP or consultant may recommend for Gallstones
This is information about which scans and tests may be used to assess Gallstones, and what each one is: not a recommendation. Your clinician decides which scan or test, if any, you need. Prices below are typical UK private ranges; enter your postcode to see the NHS wait near you.
Blood tests and examination first
Gallstones are assessed from your symptoms, an examination, and liver function blood tests, which guide what else is needed. Blood tests are not a scan.
Ultrasound
The main scan: an abdominal ultrasound is the first-line and most common test to confirm gallstones and check the gallbladder.
An ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to produce live images, via a handheld probe on the skin. It uses no radiation.
How long: Usually 15 to 45 minutes.
Good for: Soft tissues near the surface, tendons and muscles, the abdomen and pelvis, and anything best seen moving in real time.
Typical UK private cost: £185 to £495. Usually bookable within days.
MRCP
Used if the bile ducts need checking: a specialised MRI of the bile ducts, when an ultrasound has not found duct stones but the bile duct looks dilated or liver blood tests are abnormal.
An MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography) is a specialised MRI scan that produces detailed pictures of the bile ducts, gallbladder and pancreatic ducts. It uses a magnetic field and radio waves: no radiation, and no dye injection.
How long: Usually 15 to 30 minutes, lying still inside an MRI scanner.
Good for: Showing stones or blockages in the bile ducts that an ordinary ultrasound can miss.
Typical UK private cost: £300 to £1145. Usually bookable within days.
CT
Used sometimes, particularly to check for complications.
A CT (computed tomography) scan uses X-rays and a computer to build cross-sectional images. It is faster than MRI and uses a low dose of radiation.
How long: Usually 10 to 20 minutes.
Good for: Bone detail, the chest and abdomen, and situations where speed matters.
Typical UK private cost: £360 to £1080. Usually bookable within days.
Sources: NHS, Imaging literature. [1] (opens in new tab) [2] (opens in new tab)
See the wait and price near you
Enter your postcode for the NHS wait at your nearest hospital and the private price range from clinics within 25 miles.
Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. NHS waits are from DM01 diagnostics data. Nothing here is medical advice; your clinician decides which scan, if any, you need.
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