Nearly 90 New Orleans residents were recently screened for abdominal aortic aneurysm at LSU Healthcare Network.
Sponsored by Peoples Health and W.L. Gore, the event was free and open to the public and resulted in three aneurysms being discovered, requiring medical attention.
“Up to 90 percent of the time, ruptured abdominal aneurysms are fatal,” said vascular surgeon Dr. Claudie Sheahan of LSU Healthcare Network. “It’s likely that this screening saved lives. Aneurysm screening is an effective tool to get awareness out. And if you catch the aneurysm early it’s easy to fix,” she said.
The non-invasive ultrasound screening is a quick and painless way to find aneurysms and save lives. The noninvasive abdominal ultrasound test is simple and takes less than five minutes for the results.
“Most people have no idea about the dangers of this silent killer, and we’re able to provide this lifesaving screening, thanks to our professional medical partners and supporters,” said Barbara Guerard, vice president at Peoples Health and board member at AAAneurysm Outreach.
The participants were assessed for risk and were provided information on the risk factors, which include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, history of smoking, or family history of aneurysms.
The third-leading cause of sudden death in men over 60 in the United States, an abdominal aortic aneurysm (bursting of the main artery that carries blood to the lower part of the body) is almost always fatal. Usually, there are no symptoms.
It’s estimated that more than 1 million people are living with an undiagnosed abdominal aortic aneurysm, which was a contributing factor in the recent deaths of actors Bill Paxton, Alan Thicke, and Tommy Ford.
AAA screening is recommended every five years for all those over age 60 or those with risk factors. Detected early, an AAA can be treated with a variety of effective procedures.