Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
The aorta is the main artery in your body. It runs from your heart to your stomach. As some people get older, the wall of the aorta in the stomach weakens and expands to form an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Screening can detect an aneurysm by the width of the aorta.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)
Most people with an Abdominal aortic aneurysm don’t have any symptoms.
You’re more at risk if you:
- are male and aged 65 or over
- smoke
- have high cholesterol
- have high blood pressure
- have a close relative who's had an abdominal aortic aneurysm
You can have an AAA even if you aren’t in any of the above categories.
AAA screening programme
Abdominal aortic aneurysms usually cause no symptoms and most people are not aware they have it.
Not every aneurysm will burst, but if it does, the chances of getting to hospital and surviving surgery are very poor.
Screening is a scan of your abdomen.
AAA screening saves lives by detecting large aneurysms before they burst.
By screening, it is possible to detect, monitor and treat most abdominal aortic aneurysms.
This reduces the risk of an aneurysm bursting and causing internal bleeding or death.
This type of scan doesn’t look for any other health conditions.
The Northern Ireland AAA Screening Programme offers AAA screening to all men who are registered with a GP in the year they turn 65 years old.
If you’re a man, aged over 65 and haven’t yet been screened, you should contact the central screening office:
Screening for people with a family history of AAAs
If you are female, or under the age of 65 and have a close family member who has or had an AAA, you should ask your GP about getting an ultrasound scan.
If your GP feels you might benefit from having a scan, it will usually be done when you are five years younger than the age that your relative was found to have an AAA.
This screening is not part of the screening programme.
Your screening appointment
Your screening invitation has your appointment time, date and location in your Trust area.
To change your appointment time, date or location, you need to contact the central screening office.
What happens during AAA screening
A screening technician uses an ultrasound probe to scan your abdomen for an AAA.
The monitor displays an image of your aorta.
The screening technician measures the diameter and knows if you have an AAA.
They tell you the results immediately.
Deciding against being screened for an AAA
It’s your choice to have screening for an AAA. If you’re invited to screening but don’t want to go, contact the screening office on 028 9615 1212 to take you off the list.
What screening results can show
You will get one of five possible results from the scan:
- you have a normal aorta
- you have a small AAA
- you have a medium AAA
- you have a large AAA
- non-visualisation
Normal aorta
When your result is normal, you don’t need AAA screening again or any treatment.
Small AAA
This means your aorta is wider than 30 mm but less than 45 mm. You will need a monitoring scan every year to check if the AAA is growing.
Medium AAA
This means your aorta is between 45 mm and 54 mm wide. You will need a monitoring scan every three months to check if the AAA is growing.
Large AAA
This means your aorta is more than 55 mm wide. You will need an assessment for surgery. Your assessment appointment will take place within three weeks of your diagnosis.
Non-visualisation
If the screening technician cannot see your aorta clearly at your first appointment, you will need a second scan:
- at a different screening clinic
- in a hospital
You will get support and advice about:
- stopping smoking
- diet, weight management and exercise
- lipid modification and statin therapy
- prevention, diagnosis and management of high blood pressure
- prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetes
- drug therapy and anti-platelet agents
When screening detects a small or medium AAA
If you have a small or medium AAA:
- you’ll get a leaflet explaining what happens next
- a specialist nurse will contact you within two working days
- the clinic will tell your GP
The nurse will give you lifestyle advice that could slow the growth of your AAA. They will tell you about:
- eating healthy foods
- doing regular physical activity
- stopping smoking
Treating a large AAA
If detected early, surgery is suitable for most large AAAs.
When you’re diagnosed with a large AAA, the vascular surgeon will discuss treatment with you.
They will explain two operations:
- replacing the aneurysm with an artificial artery
- repairing the aneurysm with stents through your arteries
Screening locations
There are screening clinics in all trust areas. The clinic could be in a:
- community hospital
- GP surgery
- health and care centre
- health and wellbeing centre
Belfast HSC Trust
In the BelfastTrust area, AAA screening is available at:
- Arches Wellbeing and Treatment Centre
- Beech Hall Wellbeing and Treatment Centre
- Bradbury Wellbeing and Treatment Centre
- Grove Wellbeing and Treatment Centre
Northern HSC Trust
In the Northern Trust area, AAA screening is available at:
- Ballymena Health and Care Centre
- Causeway Hospital, Coleraine
- Mid Ulster Hospital
- Moyle Hospital, Larne
South Eastern HSC Trust
In the South Eastern Trust area, AAA screening is available at:
Southern HSC Trust
In the Southern Trust area, AAA screening is available at:
- Banbridge Health and Care Centre
- Bessbrook Clinic, Newry
- John Mitchell Place
- Kilkeel Primary Care Centre
- Lurgan Hospital
- Mullinure Hospital
- Portadown Health Centre
- South Tyrone Hospital
Western HSC Trust
In the Western Trust area, AAA screening is available at:
- Omagh Hospital
- Roe Valley Hospital
- South West Acute Hospital
- Waterside Health Centre (Derry)
Drivers or motorcyclists diagnosed with an AAA
If you hold a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) licence and are diagnosed with an AAA of any size, you must tell the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).
They will suspend your HGV licence if your AAA is 55 mm wide or more.
If you’re a motorcyclist or hold any other driving licence and are diagnosed with an AAA 60 mm wide or more, you must tell the DVA.
They will suspend your driving licence if your AAA reaches 65 mm wide or more.
They will reinstate your licence when you’ve had successful treatment for the aneurysm.
AAA screening videos
In the following video, consultant vascular surgeon, Paul Blair, discusses the AAA screening process.
In the videos at the links below Brian, Brian and John describe their experiences of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening programme and what benefits they gained from attending the screening.
AAA screening leaflets
Further information on AAA screening are available on the Public Health Agency website.
If you are invited to take part in the screening programme, you will receive an invite leaflet will all the information you need about AAA screening.
Information leaflets are also available if you have been diagnosed with a small, medium or large AAA to explain what happens next.