Abdominal aortic aneurysm: epidemiology, screening and work-up for repair

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a dilatation of the infra-renal abdominal aorta to greater than 3 cm. Population screening is offered to men in the year of their 65th birthday in the UK. Patients with small, asymptomatic AAAs (<5.5 cm) are entered into surveillance programmes and have their cardiovascular risk factors managed aggressively. An AAA ≥5.5 cm diameter, or one which is symptomatic, should be considered for surgical repair to prevent rupture. Aneurysm repair can be undertaken using either an open surgical or endovascular approach; the decision should be tailored to the individual patient and made by the surgeon and patient, with input from a multi-disciplinary team.