'My aneurysm was a shock' - men urged to attend screenings

One successful 80 men screened successful Northern Ireland has an AAA – abdominal aortic aneurysm.

It usually causes nary symptoms, and astir radical are not alert they person it.

If an AAA bursts, it leads to superior interior bleeding, which is fatal successful 8 retired of 10 cases.

The Northern Ireland screening programme, which aims to trim deaths from burst AAAs done aboriginal detection, monitoring and treatment, offers screening to each men successful their 65th year.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is simply a widening of the main artery (aorta) successful the body, which runs done the abdomen from the bosom to the stomach.

As immoderate radical get older, the partition of the aorta weakens and expands to signifier an AAA.

Screening done an ultrasound scan of the abdomen, tin observe an aneurysm by the measuring the width of the aorta.

Michael Hughes, from Carrickfergus successful County Antrim, had ne'er heard astir AAAs until helium got a missive astir screening.

His scan showed a ample aneurysm (6.6cm/2.6in) which helium said was a "big shock" arsenic helium had nary symptoms.

"[I was] frightened and frightened of it due to the fact that it's thing that I hadn't known about, but they said it was dangerously large," the 67-year-old said.

"I was told that if it happens to burst, basically, that's it - it's over.

"That's wherefore I was taken in, wherefore they recovered a abstraction truthful rapidly for me."

Michael had country 11 days aboriginal connected 23 December 2022 and spent Christmas successful intensive attraction successful the Royal Victoria Hospital successful Belfast.

He said it was bully that it was each precise speedy "because you had little clip to deliberation astir it".

Michael said AAA screening was "very important" and is urging everybody who gets a missive to get screened "because it tin prevention your life".

"I instrumentality each time now," helium said.

"I'm gladsome for each time much than I was before, due to the fact that I cognize however precious beingness tin beryllium with it," helium said.

Since the programme started successful 2012, much than 102,000 men person attended for screening, and much than 1,200 AAAs person been detected.

There are 4 imaginable outcomes astatine a screening assignment –

• No aneurysm detected - No further monitoring is needed arsenic it is improbable an aneurysm volition make that needs surgery.

• Small AAA – Monitoring each year

• Medium AAA - Monitoring each 3 months

• Large AAA – Referral to a infirmary vascular squad for further tests and to sermon surgery

Trevor Johnston, from Belfast, said helium was "devastated" erstwhile helium was diagnosed with a tiny AAA (3.5cm/1.4in) 2 years ago.

"It started to descend in.

"Everything was going done your caput arsenic to what happens from here, similar however rapidly does it grow?" helium said.

But helium said being screened each twelvemonth is "definitely reassuring".

"They support an oculus connected it to marque definite it doesn't turn anymore," helium said.

"You're coming each twelvemonth hoping it hasn't moved due to the fact that if it hasn't past you've thing much to do.

"When it starts to get to 5.5[cm] you're much than apt looking astatine surgery, past you commencement to deliberation astir it a spot more," helium said.

Like Michael, Trevor knew thing astir AAAs until helium was called for screening.

He recommends it due to the fact that "anyone who is diagnosed with it gets an accidental to alteration their manner and look aft themselves a spot more".

The Public Health Agency (PHA) said men were much apt than women to make an AAA.

They are much communal successful older men, smokers, radical with precocious humor unit and radical with different cardiovascular diseases.

Dr Christine McKee, a PHA nationalist wellness consultant, would promote radical to be for screening due to the fact that "it is simply a truly elemental trial that could prevention your life".

"Most radical who person a AAA won't cognize it due to the fact that they mostly won't person immoderate symptoms, but the hazard is, implicit clip the aneurysm could turn and could rupture oregon burst, she said.

"If that happens, peculiarly if you are not successful a hospital, past the likelihood of that being capable to beryllium treated successfully is rather poor."

The PHA said a reappraisal of the screening programme has showed that, retired of each patients with AAA infirmary admissions, the fig of radical with a ruptured AAA is reducing.

Louis Lau, a advisor vascular surgeon and objective pb for the aneurysm screening programme, said it is important for idiosyncratic with a ample aneurysm to person country if suitable.

"Aneurysm patients bash not usually person immoderate symptoms and erstwhile they person symptoms it usually means that the aneurysm has either burst oregon astir to burst," which helium said wasusually fatal.

He said determination was nary medicine oregon attraction different than country that could halt an aneurysm increasing oregon bursting.

"It's important to woody with this information due to the fact that we cognize that the result is truthful antithetic betwixt exigency country and elective planned surgery," helium said.