The Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening programme (AAA) run by Addenbrooke’s Hospital aims to screen as many men as possible to find out if they need monitoring or treatment.
What is it?
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a weakening and expansion of the aorta which is the main blood vessel in the body. Large aneurysms are rare but can be very serious; six thousand people in England and Wales die every year from ruptures.
Men are more likely than women to have the condition and the risk increases six times once they reach the age of 65.
Success rate
Consultant Vascular Surgeon Paul Hayes said “Since the service was first set up two years ago, we’ve screened around ten thousand men in this region. We’ve found that many men are reluctant to go to the doctors, but are more likely to be encouraged if they’re supported by a female relative. Therefore, we’re asking women to urge their older men to come along. We hope that by screening as many as possible, we can try to reduce the number of deaths from this condition by 50%”
For the past two years, the Department of Health has been funding the national screening programme so that through early detection, more men can be treated.
Men who have an AAA will not generally notice any symptoms, which is why screening is so important. The process is carried out locally, often at a nearby GP surgery and involves a simple, non-invasive scan. Men will receive their result immediately.
For more information visit the national programme website at: http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk
For a self referral pack please contact the AAA Screening Team on 01223 256909