| Simple Screening Can Detect a Silent Killer
Tri-City Voice, October 24th, 2007
The largest and most
important artery in our body
is the aorta. It is the main
blood vessel leading away
from our heart, carrying
oxygen to most of the entire
body.
For some people, there is a
silent killer that exists as a bulge or
blister in the abdominal aorta, between
the breast bone and the belly button,
without causing any symptoms. If not
detected and treated, the bulge may grow
and eventually burst, causing sudden,
major internal blood loss and death
within minutes before the victim can
get to a hospital. This condition is
called an abdominal aortic aneurysm or
AAA.
"The normal
abdominal aorta is about the size of
your thumb, but with an aneurysm, it can
get as large as a fist,” says John
Thomas Mehigan, M.D., a board certified
vascular surgeon and medical director of
Off-Site Community Education at
Washington
Hospital.
"It’s like a tire with a blister that
can blow at any minute. Until that
happens, people experience no symptoms
such as ache, pain or even lack of
appetite.”
This life-threatening
condition is not rare. The Society for
Vascular Surgery estimates that as many
as 1 million Americans are living with
an undetected AAA. Each year, nearly
200,000 are diagnosed, but another
15,000 die before their condition can be
treated.
The good
news is there is a safe, painless,
noninvasive ultrasound test that detects
and accurately measures the size of an
aneurysm to determine if treatment is
needed. It will be offered for free at
Washington
Hospital on
Saturday, November 10.
"Early
detection of this condition will
decrease the incidence of death,”
reports Ash Jain, M.D., board certified
cardiologist and medical director of
Washington
Hospital’s
Stroke Program. "These days, there are
new techniques for AAA, which are less
invasive than previous surgical
approaches. Patients can be treated at
the hospital and return home in as
little as one to three days.”
On
Saturday, November 10, Washington
Hospital, in conjunction with Fremont
Bank and BMC Diagnostics will sponsor
an abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
for people who are at risk of developing
this condition. Dr. Mehigan and Dr. Jain
will both take part in the free,
community event.
The AAA
screening is not for everyone. Only
people who are at risk of having the
condition are eligible to participate.
You are at risk if you are over 50 and
someone in your family has had an AAA.
You are also at risk if you have one or
more of the following conditions:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
If you have the screening and
an AAA is detected, the bulge will be
measured to determine the need for
further treatment.
"If the aneurysm is less than
two inches across, we send a written
report and image of the study to the
patient’s primary care physician, who
should put him or her on a regular
screening program to monitor the size,”
explains Dr. Mehigan. "If it’s larger
than two inches, the patient should see
a specialist who can determine the
necessary treatment, which usually
involves surgery or stent graft
placement.” (A
stent graft is a small, rigid, tubular
device used to support a weak point in
an artery.)
For more information about
Washington Hospital’s free AAA
screening, visit their web site at
www.whhs.com.
Free
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening
Date: Saturday, November 10
Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Conrad E. Anderson M.D.
Auditorium Rooms A & B, Washington West,
2500 Mowry Avenue, Fremont
Registration
required. Call (800) 963-7070.
A public service provided by:
Washington Hospital Healthcare System
Fremont Bank
BMC Diagnostics
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