Annual Well-Man Ultrasound — What It Covers and When to Repeat
A yearly ultrasound check of your abdomen, urinary tract, testes, aorta and neck — and a baseline your sonographer can compare against, year after year.
- Self-referral — no GP letter needed
- Allow up to an hour at our Kensington clinic, W8
- Preliminary findings discussed at your scan — written report usually within two hours
CQC-registered clinic · Provider ID 1-2775844974 · HCPC-registered sonographers
How often should you have a well-man ultrasound?
Most men who use our well-man ultrasound scan as a health check repeat it once a year. There is no national rule that sets this interval — an annual scan is a personal choice, not an NHS requirement. What the yearly pattern gives you is a baseline: each new scan is compared against the last, so we are no longer asking “is this normal?” in isolation — we are asking “has anything changed?”
Some findings need checking more often than yearly, and some symptoms should never wait for your next annual appointment. This page explains what the annual scan covers, why the comparison matters, when a shorter interval is advised, and the warning signs that need attention now.
What the annual scan covers
The same areas are checked at every visit, so each year’s images can be compared directly with the last. The well-man scan page explains each area in full detail.
Abdomen
Liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas and kidneys — checked for size, texture and any new findings.
Urinary tract
Kidneys, ureters and bladder — including stones and how completely your bladder empties.
Testes
Both testes checked for lumps, varicoceles (enlarged veins) and other changes — found early, most are straightforward to manage.
Aorta
The body’s largest artery, measured for an aneurysm — a bulge in the artery wall that is best found and tracked early.
Neck & thyroid
The thyroid gland, checked for nodules (small lumps) or enlargement.
Optional add-on
Carotid artery ultrasound can be added to your annual visit if you wish.
What we see in men who return every year
What we see most clearly in men who return annually is change over time — subtle, often silent changes that would not cause symptoms early enough to prompt a GP visit. The kidneys may develop small stones that were not there before, or early thinning of the kidney tissue. Bladder emptying can shift from complete to leaving a mildly raised amount behind. And in the testes we occasionally pick up evolving varicoceles or small lesions at a stage where management is straightforward.
The men who benefit most from the annual pattern are those who prefer proactive health management — typically over 40, often with a family history of vascular or urological disease, or simply wanting objective reassurance. It is not about over-scanning; it is about building a baseline and then recognising deviation from that baseline early.
This is a generalised pattern from our men’s imaging casebook, not an individual case. Findings on your scan are always discussed with you individually, and anything needing further assessment is referred on with a written report you can take to your GP or specialist.
When you may need scans more often than once a year
Annual is a good default for general health checks — but some findings have their own follow-up timetables, and your sonographer will tell you at your scan if a shorter interval is advised for you. Common examples:
- 1
A dilated aortaIf the aorta measures above normal, it is monitored on a defined schedule rather than yearly. See AAA surveillance intervals.
- 2
Thyroid nodules under surveillanceSome nodules are rechecked at set intervals after the first finding. See thyroid nodule follow-up intervals.
- 3
Anything found in the testesNew or changing testicular findings are never left to an annual cycle — see when to scan a testicular lump.
For men, NHS screening is limited: a one-off abdominal aortic aneurysm scan is offered in the year you turn 65, and there is no routine NHS ultrasound screening of the kidneys, bladder, testes or thyroid. The annual well-man ultrasound fills that gap by choice — it does not replace NHS care, and any invitation you receive from the NHS should always be taken up. If a finding on your scan needs treatment, that treatment happens through your GP or specialist in the usual way.
Some symptoms need assessment now, not at your next yearly check. Contact your GP promptly — or call NHS 111 if you cannot reach them — if you have: a new lump or swelling in a testicle, blood in your urine, a new lump in the neck or elsewhere, persistent abdominal pain, difficulty passing urine, or unexplained weight loss. If you ever have sudden severe abdominal or back pain, chest pain, or feel seriously unwell, call 999 or go to A&E. A booked private scan is never a reason to delay urgent NHS care.
Is a yearly scan right for you?
- You have an aortic measurement being monitored
- You have a thyroid nodule under surveillance
- Your last report specifically asked for a recheck
- You have a family history of aortic aneurysm
- Symptoms have changed since your last appointment
- Your last scan was entirely normal and nothing has changed
- You have no symptoms and no monitored findings
- You are already in the NHS AAA screening programme
- Nothing about a new scan would change what you or your GP do next
What a yearly interval actually buys
Three honest points about repeating a scan on a calendar.
Comparison is the real value
One measurement of an aorta is a number. Two a year apart describe a trajectory — and with aneurysms, the rate of change matters as much as the size.
The interval should follow the finding
Aortic surveillance intervals are set by diameter, not by the calendar. A 3.2 cm aorta and a 4.8 cm aorta need very different schedules, and the report states which applies to you.
The NHS programme is free
Men in England are invited for aortic screening at 65, with structured surveillance if anything is found. If you are eligible, take it — a private scan complements that pathway rather than replacing it.
What a repeat scan tends to show
Report symptoms when they happen, not at your next scan. Blood in the urine, a testicular lump or difficulty passing urine need assessment now — those go on urgent NHS pathways rather than waiting for an annual appointment.
Where to go from here
Annual well-man scan — your questions answered
Is once a year the right interval for everyone?
Do I need a GP referral to book?
What happens if something has changed since last year?
How long does it take, and how much does it cost?
How should I prepare for a repeat scan?
Can I set up a yearly reminder?
Does this replace the NHS AAA screening scan?
What if nothing has changed since last year?
Do I need to prepare?
Should the interval ever be shorter than a year?
Due your yearly scan?
Book your next well-man ultrasound — same clinic, same comparison against your baseline, report usually within two hours.
Kensington, London W8 4ED
3 mins from Notting Hill Gate
NHS screening facts on this page are drawn from NHS: Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening (accessed 22 July 2026). The practice pattern described above comes from IUS London’s men’s imaging casebook — always discuss your own screening needs with a healthcare professional.
Written and clinically reviewed by the HCPC-registered sonographers who perform this scan at IUS London — a CQC-registered diagnostic ultrasound clinic (Provider ID 1-2775844974). Your own findings are explained to you at the scan and set out in your report.
Author: Yianni Kiromitis, Senior Sonographer, HCPC RA38415
Medically reviewed: 31 July 2026