Procedures & Tests Beginning With S

26 procedures and tests in this guide begin with the letter S. 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
Scrotal ultrasound	Imaging & Scans	A scrotal ultrasound uses sound waves to picture the testicles and surrounding structures, including blood flow. It is a quick, painless way to assess lumps and pain.
Semen analysis	Biopsies & Lab Tests	Semen analysis examines a semen sample under the microscope: sperm concentration and total count, movement (motility), shape (morphology), sample volume and other features. It is the cornerstone test of male fertility.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy	Biopsies & Lab Tests	Sentinel lymph node biopsy identifies and removes the first lymph node(s) that drain a tumour site — the 'sentinel' nodes — using a radioactive tracer and/or blue dye injected near the tumour. If these nodes are clear of cancer, the remaining nodes are very likely clear too, sparing full node clearance and its complications.
Shave biopsy of skin lesions	Minor Procedures & Pain	A shave biopsy removes a raised skin lesion by shaving it off flush with the skin surface using a scalpel blade, under local anaesthetic, and sends the specimen for laboratory examination. No stitches are needed.
Shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL)	Kidney & Dialysis	Shockwave lithotripsy focuses high-energy sound waves from outside the body onto a kidney stone, breaking it into small fragments that can pass naturally in the urine over the following days to weeks.
Shoulder arthroscopy and rotator cuff repair	Bones, Joints & Spine	Shoulder arthroscopy uses a keyhole camera to inspect and treat the shoulder joint and the space above it. Rotator cuff repair reattaches torn shoulder tendons to the bone using anchors and stitches passed arthroscopically.
Six-minute walk test	Lungs & Breathing	The six-minute walk test measures how far you can walk on a flat corridor in six minutes at your own fastest comfortable pace, with oxygen levels and heart rate monitored. It reflects real-world exercise capacity in heart and lung disease.
Skin biopsy (punch / excisional)	Biopsies & Lab Tests	A skin biopsy removes a small sample of skin for examination under the microscope. A punch biopsy uses a circular blade to take a small full-thickness core; an excisional biopsy removes a whole lesion; a shave biopsy skims a surface lesion; an incisional biopsy samples part of a larger lesion.
Skin lesion excision	General Surgery	Excision of a skin lesion removes a mole, lump or area of changed skin under local anaesthetic, together with a small margin of normal skin. The tissue is sent to the laboratory for examination.
Skin lesion excision (cysts, lipomas, dermatofibromas)	Minor Procedures & Pain	Minor surgical excision removes common benign lumps — epidermoid (sebaceous) cysts, lipomas (fatty lumps) and other skin lesions — through a small cut under local anaesthetic. The lump is dissected out and the wound stitched; the specimen is usually sent to the laboratory.
Sleep study (polysomnography / home sleep apnoea test)	Lungs & Breathing	A sleep study records what happens to breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate and (in laboratory studies) brain waves during sleep. Simpler home tests measure airflow, chest movement, pulse and oxygen; full polysomnography in a sleep laboratory adds brain, eye and muscle channels and video.
Sleep-deprived and long-term EEG / video telemetry	Brain & Nerves	Extended EEG monitoring records brain activity over many hours or days — as an ambulatory recorder worn at home, or as inpatient video-telemetry where EEG and video run together so events can be matched to brain activity. Sleep-deprived EEG is a shorter study after reduced sleep to increase diagnostic yield.
Small bowel MRI (MR enterography)	Digestive	MR enterography is an MRI scan focused on the small bowel. You drink a special fluid that distends the bowel so its wall can be assessed for inflammation, narrowing and other abnormalities, with no radiation involved.
SPECT and nuclear medicine scans	Imaging & Scans	Nuclear medicine scans inject a tiny amount of radioactive tracer and use a gamma camera to picture how organs are working rather than just how they look — for example bone scans (tracer gathers where bone is active), thyroid scans, kidney (renogram) scans and lung perfusion scans. SPECT adds 3D (tomographic) imaging.
Spinal decompression / laminectomy	Bones, Joints & Spine	Spinal decompression (including laminectomy) removes bone and thickened ligament from the back of the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves caused by narrowing (spinal stenosis).
Spinal discectomy / microdiscectomy	Bones, Joints & Spine	A microdiscectomy removes the fragment of a slipped (prolapsed) disc that is pressing on a spinal nerve, using a small cut and a microscope or magnifying system. It is most often done in the lower back for sciatica.
Spinal fusion	Bones, Joints & Spine	Spinal fusion permanently joins two or more vertebrae together so they heal as one bone, using screws, rods and cages with bone graft. It can be done from the back, front or side of the spine.
Spirometry	Lungs & Breathing	Spirometry measures how much air you can breathe out and how fast, by blowing into a mouthpiece connected to a measuring device. Key numbers are FVC (total blown out) and FEV1 (blown out in the first second), whose pattern distinguishes obstructive diseases (asthma, COPD) from restrictive ones.
Splenectomy	General Surgery	A splenectomy is removal of the spleen, an organ under the left ribs that filters blood and supports immunity. It is commonly done by keyhole surgery unless the spleen is very enlarged or it is an emergency after injury.
Sputum tests and TB testing	Biopsies & Lab Tests	Sputum tests examine coughed-up phlegm under the microscope and by culture/PCR to identify infections — including tuberculosis (TB) — and sometimes cancer cells. TB blood tests (interferon-gamma release assays) and skin tests detect immune memory of TB without needing sputum.
Stoma formation (colostomy / ileostomy)	General Surgery	A stoma is an opening made during surgery that brings a section of bowel onto the skin of the abdomen, where waste passes into a fitted bag. A colostomy uses the large bowel; an ileostomy uses the small bowel. Stomas may be temporary or permanent.
Stool tests (FIT, culture, calprotectin)	Biopsies & Lab Tests	Stool tests include FIT (faecal immunochemical test — detects hidden blood), culture and PCR panels (find infection organisms), calprotectin (a marker of bowel inflammation), and tests for parasites and toxins such as C. difficile.
Strabismus (squint) surgery	Eyes	Strabismus surgery adjusts the position or tension of the muscles that move the eye to improve alignment of the eyes. Muscles are weakened (moved back), strengthened (shortened) or repositioned through small openings in the eye's surface covering.
Surgical management of miscarriage (ERPC)	Women's Health	Surgical management of miscarriage (sometimes still called ERPC) is a short operation using gentle suction to empty the womb when a pregnancy has miscarried but tissue remains. It is one of three options — alongside waiting naturally and medication — and the choice is yours with your team's guidance.
Suturing (stitches) for cuts and wounds	Minor Procedures & Pain	Suturing closes a cut with stitches so the skin edges heal together, used when a wound is deep, gaping, on a cosmetically important area, or likely to keep bleeding. Alternatives for suitable wounds include adhesive strips (Steri-Strips), tissue glue, or staples.
Sweat test (chloride test for cystic fibrosis)	Biopsies & Lab Tests	The sweat test measures the salt (chloride) concentration in sweat, which is characteristically high in cystic fibrosis (CF). A mild electrical current with a medicine (pilocarpine) stimulates sweating on a small area of skin, and the sweat is collected and analysed.

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 S

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