Procedures & Tests Beginning With C

34 procedures and tests in this guide begin with the letter C. Every name links to a plain-language page covering what the procedure is, how to prepare, what happens during it, and what recovery involves.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X

Procedure / test	Category	What it is
Caesarean section	Women's Health	A caesarean section is an operation to deliver a baby through a cut in the abdomen and womb. It may be planned (elective) in advance or done in labour as an emergency if concerns arise for mother or baby.
Capsule endoscopy	Endoscopy	Capsule endoscopy uses a camera the size of a large vitamin capsule, which you swallow. As it travels naturally through the digestive system it takes thousands of pictures, transmitted to a recorder you wear, mainly to examine the small bowel that standard scopes cannot reach.
Cardiac ablation (catheter ablation)	Heart	Catheter ablation is a procedure in which fine tubes passed through a vein in the groin deliver heat (radiofrequency) or freezing (cryo) energy inside the heart to destroy tiny areas of tissue causing abnormal rhythms.
Cardiac catheterisation — right heart cath	Heart	A right heart catheterisation passes a thin tube through a vein in the neck or groin into the right side of the heart and the lung arteries to measure pressures and the amount of blood the heart pumps.
Cardiac event recorder / patch monitor	Heart	A cardiac event recorder or patch monitor is a small ECG device worn for days to weeks. Some record continuously; others save the trace when you press a button during symptoms, keeping a window of recording from just before you pressed.
Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET / CPEX)	Lungs & Breathing	A cardiopulmonary exercise test measures breathing, heart and blood pressure responses while you exercise on a bike or treadmill with gradually increasing difficulty, breathing through a mask that analyses the gases you breathe in and out.
Cardioversion (DC shock treatment)	Heart	Cardioversion is a planned procedure in which a controlled electric shock is delivered through pads on the chest to reset an abnormal heart rhythm (such as atrial fibrillation) back to normal.
Carotid Doppler ultrasound	Imaging & Scans	A carotid Doppler ultrasound uses sound waves to picture the carotid arteries in the neck and measure how blood flows through them, looking for narrowing caused by fatty deposits.
Carotid endarterectomy	Brain & Nerves	Carotid endarterectomy is an operation to remove fatty plaque from inside the carotid artery in the neck, restoring smooth blood flow to the brain and reducing stroke risk from that artery.
Carpal tunnel release	General Surgery	Carpal tunnel release is a short operation that divides the tight ligament forming the roof of the carpal tunnel in the wrist, giving the compressed median nerve more room.
Casting and splinting for fractures	Minor Procedures & Pain	Casting and splinting immobilise a broken or injured bone or joint while it heals. A splint supports without fully encircling (useful when swelling is expected); a full cast encircles the limb and is applied once swelling settles. Modern casts use fibreglass (light, water-tolerant) or traditional plaster of Paris.
Cataract surgery (phacoemulsification)	Eyes	Cataract surgery removes the eye's cloudy natural lens (the cataract) and replaces it with a clear artificial lens implant. The modern technique (phacoemulsification) uses ultrasound through a tiny cut to break up and remove the lens.
Cervical cerclage (stitch)	Women's Health	A cervical cerclage is a stitch placed around the neck of the womb (cervix) during pregnancy to keep it closed when it is weak or shortening too early (cervical insufficiency), reducing the risk of late miscarriage or very premature birth.
Cervical screening (smear test)	Screening	Cervical screening checks the health of the cervix to prevent cancer. Modern programmes test the sample first for high-risk HPV (the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers); only if HPV is found are the cells examined (cytology). It is a screening test for people without symptoms, offered at intervals from age 25 to 64 in the UK (schedules vary by country).
Chest drain insertion	Lungs & Breathing	A chest drain is a tube placed between the ribs into the pleural space to drain air, fluid, blood or pus from around the lung, letting the lung re-expand and stay expanded. It connects to a one-way system (underwater seal bottle or valve).
Chest X-ray	Imaging & Scans	A chest X-ray is a quick picture of the chest made with a small amount of radiation. It shows the lungs, the heart outline, the ribs and the upper spine on one or two images.
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)	Women's Health	CVS takes a tiny sample of the developing placenta (chorionic villi) for genetic testing of the baby, usually between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. The sample is taken through the abdomen with a needle (transabdominal) or through the cervix (transcervical), under ultrasound guidance.
Circumcision	Urology	Circumcision removes the foreskin covering the head of the penis. In adults it is usually done for medical reasons; in babies and children it may be medical or cultural/religious, performed through appropriate services.
Coagulation and thrombophilia tests	Biopsies & Lab Tests	Coagulation tests measure how blood clots: routine tests (PT/INR, APTT) guide warfarin treatment and pre-operative assessment; platelet function and von Willebrand tests investigate bleeding; thrombophilia tests look for inherited or acquired clotting tendencies after blood clots.
Colectomy (bowel resection)	General Surgery	A colectomy removes a section of the large bowel (colon), with the remaining ends joined together (anastomosis) or, in some situations, brought out as a stoma. It is done by open or keyhole surgery.
Colonoscopy	Endoscopy	A colonoscopy is an examination of the large bowel using a thin, flexible camera tube passed through the back passage. It gives a direct view of the bowel lining and allows polyps to be removed and samples (biopsies) to be taken.
Colorectal transit study (marker study)	Digestive	A colorectal transit study measures how quickly material moves through the colon. You swallow capsules containing tiny radio-opaque markers over a few days, and an abdominal X-ray on a set day counts how many markers remain and where they sit.
Colposcopy	Endoscopy	Colposcopy is a detailed examination of the cervix (neck of the womb) using a bright magnifying microscope that stays outside the body, after an abnormal cervical screening (smear) result or if the cervix looks unusual.
Corneal cross-linking	Eyes	Corneal cross-linking strengthens a weak, bulging cornea (keratoconus) using riboflavin (vitamin B2) eye drops activated by ultraviolet light, which stiffens the corneal tissue and usually halts progression.
Coronary angiogram (cardiac catheterisation)	Heart	A coronary angiogram (cardiac catheterisation) is an X-ray procedure in which a fine tube is passed through a blood vessel in the wrist or groin to the heart, and dye is injected to show the coronary arteries and any narrowings.
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)	Heart	Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is open-heart surgery in which a blood vessel taken from the leg, arm or chest is sewn onto the coronary arteries to create a new route for blood around narrowed or blocked sections.
Coronary CT angiography	Imaging & Scans	Coronary CT angiography is a CT scan that uses contrast dye to picture the coronary arteries — the vessels that supply the heart muscle — and look for narrowing caused by fatty deposits.
Cryotherapy for skin lesions (seborrheic keratoses, actinic keratoses)	Minor Procedures & Pain	Cryotherapy freezes benign or precancerous skin lesions with liquid nitrogen: seborrheic keratoses (warty age-related growths), actinic keratoses (rough sun-damage patches that can rarely progress), and some other small lesions.
CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy)	Digestive	CT colonography, sometimes called virtual colonoscopy, is a CT scan of the large bowel after it has been gently inflated with gas through a small tube. Computer software builds a fly-through view of the bowel lining to look for polyps and cancers.
CT head scan	Imaging & Scans	A CT head scan takes X-ray pictures in slices through the brain, giving fast, clear images of bleeding, skull fractures, tumours and major strokes. It is the first-line emergency brain scan because it is quick and widely available.
CT scan — abdomen and pelvis	Imaging & Scans	A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis creates detailed cross-section images of the bowel, liver, kidneys, pancreas, bladder and other organs in the belly and pelvis.
CT scan — chest	Imaging & Scans	A CT scan of the chest builds detailed cross-section pictures of the lungs, airways, heart and the large blood vessels in the chest, using X-rays and a computer.
CT scan — head	Imaging & Scans	A CT (computed tomography) scan of the head uses X-rays taken from many angles and a computer to build detailed cross-section pictures of the brain, skull and sinuses.
Cystoscopy	Endoscopy	A cystoscopy examines the inside of the bladder and the urethra (water pipe) using a thin camera passed along the urethra. A flexible cystoscopy is done in clinic with local anaesthetic gel; a rigid cystoscopy is done under anaesthetic in theatre, often with treatment at the same time.

Please note: This page is educational information about a medical procedure or test. It does not replace the instructions of your own care team, who know your situation and whose preparation, fasting and medication advice you should follow if it differs from anything here. If you have symptoms that worry you, or an appointment you do not understand, contact your clinical team.

Procedures & Tests Beginning With C

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