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The Vascular Surgical Society of Great Britain and Ireland (VSGBI)
has serious concerns about the views of Mr James Johnson on the benefits
of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening for all men over the age of
65. (British Medical Journal, April 18, 2008.
AAA is the third most common cause of death for men in this age
group, with over 6,000 dying every year in England and Wales. Half of
these deaths can be avoided through screening.
Although an invitation for screening may cause mild anxiety to some
patients, my experience gained while working on the long running AAA
screening program in the Gloucestershire area, has shown there to be no
long-terms issues around patient anxiety.
While the issue of patient anxiety is one which must be carefully
addressed, this must not be at cost of the 2,000 men who are dying
premature and painful deaths every year due to a ruptured aneurysm. These
deaths can, and will, be avoided due to the implementation of this simple
and cost effective national screening programme.
80% of patients who rupture an AAA will die before reaching a
hospital, and of those who make it into surgery only 50% will survive.
Surgeons have a far greater chance of saving someone’s life through
preventative rather than emergency surgery.
An increasing number of these preventative operations are being
carried out using minimally invasive techniques like keyhole surgery, thus
avoiding major surgery and further improving survival rates.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
18 April 2008
Jonothan Earnshaw
Honorary Secretary of the Vascular Society of Great Britian and Ireland
Royal College of Surgeons, Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2A 3PE
Vascular Surgical Society Response to BMJ article on AAA screening
The Vascular Surgical Society of Great Britain and Ireland (VSGBI) has serious concerns about the views of Mr James Johnson on the benefits of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening for all men over the age of 65. (British Medical Journal, April 18, 2008.
AAA is the third most common cause of death for men in this age group, with over 6,000 dying every year in England and Wales. Half of these deaths can be avoided through screening.
Although an invitation for screening may cause mild anxiety to some patients, my experience gained while working on the long running AAA screening program in the Gloucestershire area, has shown there to be no long-terms issues around patient anxiety.
While the issue of patient anxiety is one which must be carefully addressed, this must not be at cost of the 2,000 men who are dying premature and painful deaths every year due to a ruptured aneurysm. These deaths can, and will, be avoided due to the implementation of this simple and cost effective national screening programme.
80% of patients who rupture an AAA will die before reaching a hospital, and of those who make it into surgery only 50% will survive. Surgeons have a far greater chance of saving someone’s life through preventative rather than emergency surgery.
An increasing number of these preventative operations are being carried out using minimally invasive techniques like keyhole surgery, thus avoiding major surgery and further improving survival rates.
Competing interests: None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests