The aorta is the main artery supplying your body with blood and an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA or Triple A) is a weakness in the abdominal section of this artery. The weakness causes a widening (bulging) in the artery walls. AAA is generally symptomless which means most people who have one will be unaware and not feel anything unusual.
AAAs are more common in men aged 65 and over and NHS screening for this condition is available free of charge for all men registered with a GP in England. If you are older than 65 years and have not been screened please contact us directly on 01482 675507 for information on how to request this test.
The North Yorkshire and Humber AAA Screening Programme covers the majority of North Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire, including Hull, North and North East Lincolnshire, and is based at the Hull Royal Infirmary in Hull. We invite men to a local screening clinic closest to their home.
We work closely with the vascular surgery units at Hull Royal Infirmary and York Teaching Hospital.
Pictured above: North Yorkshire and Humber AAA Screening Technicians
The NHS National AAA Screening Programme is available for all men aged 65 and over in England.
Screening is the process of identifying healthy people who may be at increased risk of a disease or condition.
Men are invited to be screened in the year they turn 65. Participation is by choice and there is an NHS screening tool available to help you decide if you want to be screened.
The screening test is a simple and safe ultrasound scan to measure the widest diameter of the abdominal aorta. This takes less than 10 minutes to complete and men are given their result straight after the test.
If you use assistive technology (e.g. a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@phe.gov.uk and tell them what format you need. It will help if you tell them what assistive technology you use.
To find out more about AAA Screening, please visit the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening FAQs on the NHS Choices website.
Opting out of screening
It is your choice whether or not to have screening. If you decide that screening is not for you and you don’t want any more invitations, you can opt out. Withdrawing yourself means you will not get invited for that type of screening in the future. Find out more about how to opt out of screening.