Your appointment
Hospital appointment coming up? Find out general information about some key aspects of surgery, and other hospital treatments and procedures.
Antibiotics
CT scan
A CT scanner is a large, ring-shaped machine used to diagnose and monitor a number of different health conditions
Epidurals for surgery and pain relief
An epidural is an injection of a local anaesthetic and/or other pain-relieving medicine into a space that surrounds your spinal cord
General anaesthesia
General anaesthesia is when medicines are used to send you to sleep and stop you feeling pain and other sensations
Local anaesthesia
Local anaesthesia involves numbing a small part of your body with a medicine called a local anaesthetic
MRI scan
An MRI scan is a type of test you can have to produce detailed images of the inside of your body
Preparing for your surgery and recovery
We give lots of advice and tips on how to prepare for your surgery, and what you can do to help yourself recover well afterwards.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a type of scan that uses sound waves to produce images of the inside of your body
X-rays
An X-ray machine works by projecting a beam of X-rays through the part of your body that your doctor needs to look at
About our health information
At Bupa we produce a wealth of free health information for you and your family. This is because we believe that trustworthy information is essential in helping you make better decisions about your health and wellbeing.
Our information has been awarded the PIF TICK for trustworthy health information. It also follows the principles of the The Information Standard.
Legal disclaimer
This information was published by Bupa's Health Content Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals and deemed accurate on the date of review. Photos are only for illustrative purposes and do not reflect every presentation of a condition.
Any information about a treatment or procedure is generic, and does not necessarily describe that treatment or procedure as delivered by Bupa or its associated providers.
The information contained on this page and in any third party websites referred to on this page is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice nor is it intended to be for medical diagnosis or treatment. Third party websites are not owned or controlled by Bupa and any individual may be able to access and post messages on them. Bupa is not responsible for the content or availability of these third party websites. We do not accept advertising on this page.
For more details on how we produce our content and its sources, visit the 'About our health information' section.
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