I had occasion to visit the sawbones earlier this week with a minor problem, but while I was there I asked him if I was elegible for an Abdominal Aorta Aneurism scan.(AAA)
He said by all means, anyone over 65 is advised to have one, so I found a local clinic that could fit me in the same afternoon and got it done.
For those of you that don’t know about it, apparently it’s a problem that only men have, judging by the fact it’s only men that are urged to have the test.
The aorta, or main blood artery, that passes down from your heart into your abdomen can weaken and rupture, but it balloons out first and if it is detected at this stage, surgery can sort the problem.
If not detected and it bursts, (An aneurism), you can be dead in minutes from major blood loss.
The test takes about ten minutes and only consists of lying on a bed, lift your shirt to expose your lower chest and abdomen, and a nurse puts some gel on your chest and uses an ultrasound device, like they use on pregnant women to see the baby. The nurse has a screen in front of her and she is able to measure the size of your aorta, and if it’s below a certain limit you are ok, but if an aneurism is imminent, that will be obvious.
I asked the nurse how often do I need this check up and she told me that if you are over 65 and you are OK, you are not likely to have any trouble in the future so it’s a one off test.
If you go onto this site, it will explain all and there are several short video clips about the condition and the test, and you can find your local test facility.
Screening where you live - NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm …
The NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme is being introduced gradually across England. The aim of the Programme is to reduce deaths from abdominal …