A NI has opened up on how he discovered he had a 7cm aneurysm which required surgery.
Brian McMullin from Bangor discovered that he had a large Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) via routine screening.
The aorta is the main blood vessel that supplies blood to your body. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a swelling (aneurysm) of the aorta and can be dangerous if it isn't detected early, the Public Health Agency say.
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Brian said: “I had no idea what an AAA was, in fact not being a medical person I probably didn’t know where my aorta was."
The 67-year-old was happy to attend believing that it was a “tick box exercise” and had no reason to think that anything was amiss.
He said: “The diagnosis was a large aneurysm.
“It took a while to register with me just how serious this was. Probably the worst thing you could do is consult ‘Dr Google’. I had to give that up at an early stage as you always seem to get the worst-case scenarios. Fortunately for me I have a supportive wife, family and friends around me which helped at that time.”
Most people with the condition will be unaware that they have an aneurysm as they rarely have symptoms, according to the Public Health Agency (PHA).
Brian said: “I had no symptoms at all.
“I was a healthy 65-year-old and pre-COVID I went to the gym three days a week and swimming the other two weekdays.
"I had my bicycle set up on a turbo trainer in the garage which I used regularly, in fact I did my 30 minutes on it, had a shower and went for the screening. I am not overweight, don’t smoke and cholesterol is normal.”
Within two hours of the screening, Brian had a telephone call from a vascular nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
“I was told my aneurysm was 7cms and would require surgery.
“The nursing staff at the RVH were fantastic and very efficient at getting everything organised. I spent a week in the RVH after my surgery in August 2021 and was able to return home as all was healing as it should," he said.
Brian has joined forces with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust to urge men to take up the opportunity of screening when invited.
Men aged 65 and over are most at risk of AAA and in Northern Ireland the AAA Screening Programme usually offers this test to men in the year they turn 65. Due to the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, men currently receive this invitation at age 66, the PHA say.
Brian had never heard of the screening programme before he was asked to attend.
“It is a must for men to go when invited. It only takes a few minutes of your time and will give you peace of mind if your aorta is normal. If there is an aneurysm this will be monitored until such times as action has to be taken. It could ultimately save your life so just go for it.
“It has made it possible for me to enjoy my family, children, grandchildren and hobbies for hopefully many more years to come,” he said.
Those eligible for screening will receive an invitation leaflet in the post at the home address provided by their GP.
Men over 65 who have not been screened before can phone the screening office and request a screening appointment on 028 9615 1212.
The PHA say men are more likely than women to have an AAA and the chance of having one increases with age.
The risk of having an abdominal aortic aneurysm can also increase if:
• you smoke
• you have high blood pressure
• your brother, sister or parent has, or has had, an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Dr Christine McKee from the PHA said: “Around 1 in every 80 men aged 65 who are screened have an AAA.
“Most people with the condition will be unaware that they have an aneurysm as they rarely have symptoms. It is important to detect AAAs early because life-threatening complications can occur later. The good news is that if an aneurysm is detected early it can be monitored and, if necessary, treated. I encourage all those invited to attend for screening.”
For further information visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/aaa.
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