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Procedures & Tests Beginning With T
20 procedures and tests in this guide begin with the letter T. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tattoo and lesion removal by laser (dermatology) | Minor Procedures & Pain | Laser removal uses short pulses of laser light matched to the target colour to break tattoo pigment (or pigmented lesions) into particles the body clears gradually. It is the standard method for unwanted tattoos and some benign pigmented lesions. |
| TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) | Heart | TAVI is a procedure to replace a narrowed aortic valve without open-heart surgery. A new tissue valve, folded inside a catheter, is passed usually through an artery in the groin and expanded inside the old valve. |
| Temporal artery biopsy | Biopsies & Lab Tests | A temporal artery biopsy removes a short segment of the temporal artery (in the temple) under local anaesthetic to look for giant cell arteritis (GCA) — inflammation of arteries that can threaten vision. The tissue is examined for the characteristic inflammation. |
| Testicular torsion surgery (emergency) | Urology | Testicular torsion is a twisting of the testicle on its cord, cutting off its blood supply — a surgical emergency, most common in teenagers and young men. Surgery untwists the testicle, checks whether it recovers, and fixes both testicles in place (orchidopexy) so it cannot happen again. |
| Thoracentesis (pleural tap) | Lungs & Breathing | Thoracentesis removes fluid that has collected between the lung and chest wall (a pleural effusion) using a needle or small catheter, usually guided by ultrasound. The fluid is tested to find its cause, and removing larger volumes relieves breathlessness. |
| Thyroid ultrasound | Imaging & Scans | A thyroid ultrasound uses sound waves to picture the thyroid gland in the front of the neck, showing its size and any lumps (nodules) within it. |
| Thyroidectomy (thyroid removal) | General Surgery | A thyroidectomy removes part (lobectomy) or all (total thyroidectomy) of the thyroid gland in the front of the neck, through a cut in a natural skin crease. |
| Tilt table test | Heart | A tilt table test investigates fainting. You lie on a table that is tilted upright at an angle while your heart rhythm and blood pressure are monitored, to see whether the tilt reproduces a faint and why. |
| Total hip replacement | Bones, Joints & Spine | A total hip replacement replaces the worn ball-and-socket hip joint with a prosthetic ball on a stem in the thigh bone and a cup in the pelvis, with a smooth bearing surface between them. |
| Total knee replacement | Bones, Joints & Spine | A total knee replacement resurfaces the worn ends of the thigh bone and shin bone (and sometimes the kneecap) with metal components and a smooth plastic bearing, creating a new joint surface. |
| Transcranial Doppler | Brain & Nerves | Transcranial Doppler uses ultrasound through the thin bone of the temple to measure blood flow speeds in the brain's major arteries in real time. It can detect narrowing, monitor spasm after brain haemorrhage, find right-to-left shunts (with a bubble test using agitated saline) and monitor for tiny emboli. |
| Transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE/TEE) | Heart | A transoesophageal echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart done with a probe passed gently down the food pipe (oesophagus), which sits directly behind the heart and gives very detailed pictures. |
| Transrectal ultrasound and prostate biopsy guidance | Imaging & Scans | A transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) uses a slim ultrasound probe placed in the back passage to picture the prostate gland in detail. It is often combined with taking small tissue samples (biopsies) from the prostate. |
| Trigger finger release | Bones, Joints & Spine | Trigger finger release is a small operation dividing the tight pulley at the base of a finger that traps the tendon, causing the finger to catch, click or lock in a bent position. |
| Trigger point injections | Minor Procedures & Pain | A trigger point injection places a small amount of local anaesthetic (sometimes with corticosteroid) into a tight, tender knot in a muscle — a trigger point — to relax it and relieve local and referred muscle pain. |
| Troponin and BNP heart blood tests | Biopsies & Lab Tests | Two blood tests are central to heart assessment. Troponin is a protein released when heart muscle is injured — the key test when a heart attack is suspected, measured on arrival and again after an interval. BNP/NT-proBNP is released when heart muscle is stretched — used to support or exclude heart failure as a cause of breathlessness. |
| Tubal ligation / sterilisation | Women's Health | Female sterilisation blocks or removes the fallopian tubes so eggs cannot meet sperm. Modern practice usually removes the tubes entirely (salpingectomy) or clips/blocks them during keyhole surgery; it is considered permanent. |
| Tumour markers — what they do and don't do | Biopsies & Lab Tests | Tumour markers are substances (often proteins) measured in blood that can be raised by certain cancers — examples include PSA (prostate), CA125 (ovary), CEA (bowel), AFP and hCG (germ cell tumours) and CA19-9 (pancreatic/biliary). Their main value is monitoring known cancer and response to treatment, not screening healthy people. |
| Tunnelled dialysis line insertion | Kidney & Dialysis | A tunnelled dialysis line is a soft tube placed into a large vein in the neck (sometimes groin) with its tip in the big vein near the heart. Part of the tube runs under the skin ('tunnelled') with a cuff that anchors it and reduces infection risk. It allows dialysis to start straight away. |
| TURP (prostate resection) | Urology | Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) removes the inner part of an enlarged prostate that is squeezing the urine tube, using an electric loop passed through the penis with a telescope — no external cuts. The removed tissue is sent to the laboratory. |
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.