Maltese Health Authorities Launch Life-Saving Aneurysm Screening Program
A life-saving national program that screens for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), a ‘silent killer’, has been unveiled by the state.
Announcing the service was Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, who explained that screening for the deadly condition was important given the fact that people having it wouldn’t know until it was too late.
In fact, 75% of persons who have experienced an attack (better known as a ‘rupture’) die as a consequence.
But now, the new screening program will be offered to men over the age of 65 years, giving them a chance to diagnose the condition in time to treat it.
So men in this age group can now expect to receive appointment letters. Appointments for an ultrasound scan that would happen only once.
Speaking at the launch was Consultant of Vascular Surgery Professor Kevin Cassar, who explained that the condition became far more common in men and that the risk of having the condition increased with advancing age and smoking and a family history.
An AAA is a swelling in the body’s main blood vessel. One that runs from the heart down through the chest and tummy. Over time, this swelling could get bigger.
It may sound harmless, but the swelling can lead to a rupture. And that can cause life-threatening bleeding.
The screening process for the condition doesn’t carry with it a lot of fuss and is normally done through an ultrasound scan. For the time being, this would only happen at the Ħamrun health center. But eventually, the service would extend to other local health centers.
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