IGNORANCE may be bliss but it can also prove fatal and a man reading this article could be walking around with a medical time bomb ticking inside them.

Fortunately, thanks to a new screening programme, the bomb may never go off and lives that were once in danger can now be saved.

An AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm) is not a type of battery but a potentially fatal health complaint affecting the aorta (see panel). However, scans in Worcestershire and Herefordshire can spot the problem early and where necessary, decisive action can be taken.

Eric Grocott, a consultant vascular surgeon and clinical lead for the triple A screening programme for Worcestershire and Herefordshire, said: “What happens to the aorta is that it slowly expands or dilates a bit like a balloon. Like all balloons, the bigger it gets, the more chance of it popping. If it pops the patient pretty much pops with it.”

One of the features of these aneurysms is that they often cause no symptoms until there is a rupture and, if that happens, 80 per cent of those patients will die. This is why screening is so important, allowing health staff to monitor the aneurysm and, where necessary, operate.

The screening programme was only introduced in Worcestershire and Herefordshire in April as part of a nationwide phased introduction driven by government policy.

The screening process itself, which only lasts about five minutes, involves use of a portable ultrasound machine during which technicians look out for a bulge on the aorta. The larger the bulge, the greater the risk of it rupturing but even smaller aneurysms are monitored. The normal diameter of the aorta is 2cm. If the diameter of the aneurysm on the aorta is between 3cm and 4.4cm the patient is deemed low risk.

If the diameter is 4.5cm to 5.4 cm the patient will be offered three monthly scans and if the diameter is over 5.5cm the patient is referred to a vascular surgeon with a view to surgery.

If the aneurysm is over 12cm a patient will be admitted immediately and likely be operated on that day.

There are two forms of surgery, depending on where on the aorta the aneurysm is found. The open triple A repair involves a cut from under the breast bone to just under the pubic bone. An artificial tube or dacron is sewn in place.

The second procedure is an endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR for short), which involves a stent being inserted through the artery in the groin. The team at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester, where the surgery is performed, has a mortality rate of less than three per cent for elective aneurysm repair for the two counties, well above the national average of between 5 to 7 per cent and among the top 3 per cent in the country.

ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM: THE FACTS

WHAT IS AN ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM?

The aorta is the main blood vessel that supplies blood to your body. It runs from your heart down through your chest and abdomen. In some people, as they get older, the wall of the aorta in the abdomen can become weak. It can expand and form an aneurysm, or blood-filled bubble.

RISK FACTORS

It is more common in men over 65. Men are six times more likely than women to have it. Smoking, high blood pressure and a family history may also be factors.

HOW COMMON IS IT?

About one in 25 men aged between 65 and 74 and have an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

SYMPTOMS

AAAs often have no obvious symptoms, which is why screening is so important.

CASE FILE: PETER TROTTER

A PENSIONER who is alive today thanks to a scan has made it his mission in life to help save others by making them aware of the value of screening.

Peter Trotter, aged 75, of Sanycroft Road, Churchdown, near Gloucester, took advantage of the offer to be screened when he turned 65 and he’s now glad that he did.

A scan at his GP surgery showed he had a small aneurysm on the aorta which was monitored for the next six years.

He now travels to various clubs and organisations to tell people about the merits of screening and in the hope he can prevent premature deaths.

He had the aneurysm repaired at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital four years ago and is now a patient representative on the committee of the national screening programme for the condition, as well as a member of the national screening advisory group.

Those who want Mr Trotter to talk to them about NHS screening can contact him on 01452 714033.

CASE FILE: KENNETH O’DOHERTY

A HEALTHY and happy-go-lucky man didn’t know he had a potentially fatal aneurysm until he was screened.

Kenneth O’Doherty, aged 64, did not have the slightest idea he had a medical problem. He received a letter asking him if he wanted to be screened and had a scan at Kidderminster Hospital in July.

Mr O’Doherty of Willow Court, Franche, Kidderminster, had the stent (EVAR) put in on July 27 and apart from pain in his groin afterwards, bruising, a temperature and lethargy he suffered no lasting side-effects.

His wife Lynn, 44, said: “It was very worrying. I was told my husband could die within a year but would be dead within three.

But they did get him in very quickly. I’m very impressed with the standard of care. I would recommend everyone who is eligible to get the screening done.

He could have been dead within a year and we didn’t even know anything was wrong with him. I don’t want to be a widow just yet.”

Mr O’Doherty said, as a patient, he proved that screening worked.