Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is a test to check if there’s a swelling in your aorta, which is the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the tummy (abdomen).
AAA screening is offered to all men over the age of 64. Anyone assigned male at birth who is over the age of 64 can have it. You’ll have the AAA screening test once, unless an aneurysm is found. Men are invited for AAA screening because they’re more likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The main test to find out if you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an ultrasound scan of your tummy. It usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes and is painless. You’ll get the results of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening at the end of the scan. Your GP surgery will be sent the results.
If an aneurysm is not found – you do not need to do anything and will not need to have any more scans.
If an aneurysm is found:
- Small AAA – you’ll have a scan every year to see if the aneurysm has got bigger, and see a specialist nurse for advice
- Medium AAA – you’ll have a scan every 3 months to see if the aneurysm has got bigger, and see a specialist nurse for advice
- Large AAA – you’ll be referred to a specialist called a vascular surgeon for more tests and possible treatment
Monitoring a small or medium aneurysm – if you have a small or medium aneurysm, you’ll be offered an appointment to see a specialist nurse, who will review your medication, monitor your blood pressure and discuss lifestyle changes that can slow the growth of your AAA.
More information about abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening

Black Country AAA screening programme covers Dudley, Wolverhampton and Walsall. Please call 01384 321125