First-year results of a national abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme in a single centre

Background: The UK Multicentre Aneurysm Screening Study (MASS) demonstrated reduced mortality from screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). As a result, the National Health Service AAA Screening Programme was introduced in England. This study reports the results from an early‐implementation screening centre. Methods: Men aged 65 years were invited to attend an ultrasound assessment. Data were analysed for 15 months from the onset of the screening programme. Results: A total of 6091 men aged 65 years were invited between April 2009 and June 2010, of whom 2037 (33·4 per cent) failed to attend. There were 162 self‐referrals (median age 71·3 years) so that 4216 men were screened. Of those scanned, 4146 (98·3 per cent) had an aortic diameter of less than 3·0 cm, 65 (1·5 per cent) had an aneurysm measuring 3·0–5·4 cm, and five (0·1 per cent) had an aneurysm with a diameter of 5·5 cm and above. The presence of an aneurysm was more common in those who self‐referred than in the invited group (P < 0·001). All 70 screen‐detected aneurysms were found in white men. Conclusion: The prevalence of AAA was lower than expected. This reflects the younger age of this cohort compared with those in published large multicentre studies and the diverse ethnic background of the local population. Copyright © 2011 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Local context is important