AAA Screening Programme

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening in Lancashire is part of a national AAA screening programme, that has been rolled out across England, to detect this vascular condition.

 

An aneurysm is an abnormal swelling of an artery.  Aneurysms  can occur in any artery and one of the more common sites is in the abdominal aorta, which is the artery that carries blood from the heart down towards the legs. In some people, the walls of the artery weaken causing the walls of the artery to expand and balloon out. If expansion continues, the artery walls continue to weaken and may eventually burst (rupture) which can prove fatal. The only current treatment is surgery where a graft is inserted to strengthen or replace the artery wall. This usually lasts a lifetime and will not need to be replaced.

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Research has shown that abdominal aortic aneurysms affect men about five times more frequently than women and the prevalence increases with age. Consequently, the service is routinely offered to men in the year they turn 65.

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