What we are looking for
The aorta is the main artery leaving the heart. Below the kidneys, its wall can weaken and balloon outward. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is generally defined as an aorta measuring 3.0 cm or more across.
Most abdominal aortic aneurysms cause no symptoms at all until they rupture. The scan measures the widest diameter of the aorta below the kidney arteries and tells us whether it is normal, whether it needs watching, and how often.
Who should be screened
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force draws careful lines here, and they are worth stating exactly rather than blurring them into “everyone over 65 should be screened.”
Group
USPSTF recommendation
Men 65–75 who have ever smoked
Screen once with ultrasound (Grade B)
Men 65–75 who have never smoked
Selectively offer screening rather than screening everyone (Grade C)
Women 65–75 who have ever smoked, or have a family history
Evidence is insufficient to weigh benefit against harm (I statement)
Women who have never smoked and have no family history
Against routine screening (Grade D)
Outside those lines, screening is a clinical judgment rather than a public-health recommendation — a first-degree relative with an aneurysm, or aneurysms elsewhere, may reasonably prompt a look. Talk to us.
What to expect, and what happens next
You lie on your back. A technologist places gel on the abdomen and presses a probe over the aorta. It takes only a few minutes. Bowel gas can obscure the view, so we usually ask you not to eat beforehand.
If the aorta measures normal, a one-time screen is generally the end of the conversation. If it is enlarged, size determines what happens next: most small aneurysms are simply watched at intervals, with blood pressure control and tobacco cessation doing the real work. Nicotine & tobacco → Repair is considered when an aneurysm reaches a size, or grows at a rate, where the risk of rupture outweighs the risk of fixing it.
When to call 911
A rupturing aneurysm is an immediate emergency.
Call 911 right away if you have any of these:
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Sudden, severe pain in the abdomen, flank, or back — often described as tearing
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A pulsating feeling in the abdomen accompanied by pain
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Sudden lightheadedness, fainting, or clammy skin with abdominal or back pain
These are signs of a possible rupture. Do not drive yourself and do not call our office first.
For referring providers — We screen the infrarenal aorta in our office in a few minutes, with no dye and no radiation, and can bill the Medicare Welcome-to-Medicare screening benefit where the patient qualifies. Refer: (918) 943-5303 · fax (855) 312-3594.
Refer urgently: sudden severe abdominal or back pain with a known or suspected aneurysm · Routinely: men 65–75 who have ever smoked; selectively for never-smokers; family history of AAA. Full referral guide →