What Is an Aortic or AAA Screening? A Tech Explains What We’re Looking For

You may have heard the term “AAA” before, but if you're not in healthcare, you probably don't know exactly what it means.

AAA stands for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The easiest way to explain it is this: the aorta is the body's biggest artery. It carries blood away from your heart and down into your body. A portion of that artery travels through your abdomen.

An AAA is an enlargement of that part of the aorta.

So what do I actually do during the screening?

This one is pretty straightforward.

You lie on your back, I put some ultrasound gel on your abdomen, and I use the ultrasound probe to look at your aorta.

I'm taking measurements to see how large the artery is and looking at the area carefully.

There's no radiation, no needles, and no injection of contrast.

It's simply ultrasound.

Why would you want to look at your aorta?

One of the reasons AAA can be difficult to catch is that a person may not know they have one.

You don't necessarily feel something happening inside your abdomen.

That's why, for people who are appropriate candidates for screening, taking a few minutes to look at the aorta can provide useful information.

If the screening identifies something that needs attention, that gives you something to take to your healthcare provider so they can determine what should happen next.

A screening isn't a diagnosis, and it doesn't tell us what will happen in the future. It simply gives us a chance to look.

Why bring this to the workplace?

I've spent more than 20 years working in vascular imaging, and one thing I've learned is that people are busy.

The people who work demanding jobs, long shifts, nights and weekends often have a hard time making time for their own healthcare.

They may think, “I'll get around to it.”

Then another month goes by.

That's exactly why ForgedWell brings cardiovascular screening directly to the workplace.

You don't have to drive somewhere else or schedule another appointment just to have the screening performed.

We bring the equipment to you, and you take a little time during your workday to get checked.

It's a small investment of time that can give you information about an important part of your cardiovascular health.