- Physical Examination
- Surgical Examination
- Ophthalmology
- Clinical Skills
- Orthopedics
- Surgery Videos
- Laparoscopy
- Pediatrics
- Funny Videos
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Nursing Videos
- Plastic Surgery
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Histology and Histopathology
- Neurosurgery
- Dermatology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Urology
- Dentistry
- Oncology and Cancers
- Anatomy Videos
- Health and Fitness
- Radiology
- Anaesthesia
- Physical Therapy
- Pharmacology
- Interventional Radiology
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gynecology
- Emergency Medicine
- Psychiatry and Psychology
- Childbirth Videos
- General Medical Videos
- Nephrology
- Physiology
- Diet and Food Health
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Neurology
- Women Health
- Osteoporosis
- Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
- Hematology
- Rheumatology
- Toxicology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Vascular Disease
- Reproductive Health
- Burns and Wound Healing
- Kidney Zone Podcast
- Other
Procedures & Tests Beginning With M
14 procedures and tests in this guide begin with the letter M. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mammogram (screening) | Screening | A screening mammogram is a low-dose X-ray of the breast offered to women without symptoms, typically every three years between about 50 and 70 in the UK programme (ages and intervals vary by country), to find cancers too small to feel. Each breast is compressed briefly between plates and imaged from two angles. |
| Mammography | Imaging & Scans | A mammogram is a specialised low-dose X-ray of the breast. Each breast is briefly compressed between two flat plates so the tissue spreads out and detailed pictures can be taken. |
| Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) | Women's Health | Manual vacuum aspiration is a method of emptying the womb using a hand-held suction device, performed with local anaesthetic in a clinic setting. It is used for surgical management of miscarriage and for abortion care in early pregnancy, according to local services and law. |
| Mastectomy | General Surgery | A mastectomy is an operation to remove all of the breast tissue on one or both sides. Variants include skin-sparing and nipple-sparing techniques, and it is often combined with removal of some lymph nodes from the armpit and, where chosen, immediate reconstruction. |
| Meatotomy / urethral dilatation and urethrotomy | Urology | These procedures treat narrowing (stricture) of the urine tube (urethra). Dilatation stretches the narrowing with graduated instruments; internal urethrotomy cuts the scar tissue under direct vision with a telescope-mounted knife; meatotomy widens a narrowed urine opening (meatus) at the tip of the penis. |
| Methacholine challenge test (bronchial provocation) | Lungs & Breathing | A bronchial challenge test measures how twitchy the airways are. You inhale increasing doses of methacholine (a mild airway irritant) with spirometry after each dose; a significant fall in lung function at a low dose indicates airway hyper-responsiveness, supporting asthma. |
| Microbiology cultures — blood cultures | Biopsies & Lab Tests | Blood cultures detect bacteria or fungi living in the bloodstream. Blood is drawn into special bottles (usually two sets from different sites) and incubated in machines that flag growth, after which organisms are identified and tested for antibiotic sensitivities. |
| Mole removal (excision) | Minor Procedures & Pain | Mole removal by excision cuts out a mole (and usually a small margin of normal skin) under local anaesthetic and sends it to the laboratory — the diagnostic standard when a mole looks suspicious or when removal is requested for medical reasons. |
| MRI brain scan | Imaging & Scans | An MRI of the brain uses strong magnets and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the brain and its structures without X-rays. Sequences can highlight tumours, stroke, inflammation, infection, bleeding products and structural abnormalities, and contrast dye may be given to show blood vessels and areas of inflammation or tumour activity. |
| MRI scan — brain | Imaging & Scans | An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan of the brain uses a strong magnet and radio waves — not X-rays — to build very detailed pictures of the brain and its blood vessels. |
| MRI scan — knee | Imaging & Scans | An MRI scan of the knee uses a magnet and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the cartilage, ligaments, tendons and bones inside the knee joint. |
| MRI scan — spine | Imaging & Scans | An MRI scan of the spine uses a magnet and radio waves to picture the spinal bones, discs, spinal cord and nerves in fine detail, without using X-rays. |
| Muscle and nerve biopsy | Brain & Nerves | A muscle biopsy removes a small piece of muscle (usually from the thigh or upper arm) for microscopic and biochemical analysis when a muscle disease is suspected. A nerve biopsy (usually the sural nerve at the ankle) samples a sensory nerve when a neuropathy's cause remains elusive, such as suspected vasculitis or amyloidosis. |
| Myomectomy (fibroid removal) | Women's Health | A myomectomy removes fibroids (benign muscle growths) from the wall of the womb while preserving the womb itself. It can be open, keyhole, or through the vagina with a hysteroscope for fibroids bulging into the womb cavity. |
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.