Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is a way of detecting a dangerous swelling (aneurysm) of the aorta – the main blood vessel that runs from the heart, down through the abdomen to the rest of the body.
This swelling is far more common in men aged over 65 than it is in women and younger men, so men are invited for screening in the year they turn 65.
An AAA usually causes no symptoms, but if it bursts, it’s extremely dangerous and usually fatal. Around 8 out of 10 people with a ruptured AAA either die before they reach hospital or don’t survive surgery.
Read more about abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Screening involves a simple ultrasound scan of your stomach (abdomen), which takes about 10-15 minutes.
If your abdominal aorta is not enlarged, you don’t ever need to be tested again.
If you have a small to medium aneurysm, you'll be regularly monitored to check it doesn’t get dangerously larger.
If you are found to have a large aneurysm, you'll be seen by a vascular surgeon (a specialist in blood vessels) within two weeks. They will advise on whether you would benefit from treatment to reduce the risk of it bursting.
An AAA is sometimes picked up by chance – for instance, if you’re being tested for another condition.
In general, if you have an AAA, you won’t know. You probably won’t feel any pain or notice anything different.
But if the aneurysm bursts, it’s a medical emergency, and most people either die before they reach hospital or don’t survive surgery.
Screening is a way of detecting an aneurysm early. If a large aneurysm is detected before it bursts it can be treated. Accepting the invitation to screening cuts the risk of dying from an abdominal aortic aneurysm by about half.
The NHS AAA Screening Programme was set up in England in 2009 and has been offered throughout the UK since the end of 2013.
Read more about why screening is offered.
Men aged over 65 are far more likely to have an AAA than women or younger men – so any man registered with a GP will receive a letter inviting him for screening in the year he turns 65.
Men aged over 65 can request a scan by contacting their local AAA screening service directly.
Read more about when AAA screening is offered.
The screening test for AAA is a simple, pain-free ultrasound scan of the abdomen that usually takes about 10-15 minutes.
The screening technician will ask you to lift up your shirt and then run a small ultrasound scanner on your abdomen, which will allow the thickness of your abdominal aorta to be measured on a monitor.
The technician will tell you the result straight away and your GP will also be informed.
Read more about what happens during AAA screening.
What happens next depends on the size of your abdominal aorta:
Read more about AAA screening results.