Ultrasound: Intrepreting Your Results

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Understanding your Results

What do my results mean ?

      If the results of your ultrasound show that you do in fact have an AAA, the next step will be to determine the size of the aneurysm to understand its severity.

Possible Results:

  • All Segments of the Abdominal Aorta less than 3cm in diameter
     This is a perfectly normal result and indicates that you do not, in fact, have an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). As it takes a very long time to grow, there is little chance that you will develop one after the age of 65 and therefore no follow-up screenings or scans will be necessary.

  • A Segment of the Abdominal Aorta between 3-5.5cm in diameter
      If your aneurysm is found to be within these measurements, you have a small or medium aneurysm. This means it’s in or around the same size as an earphone. Aneurysms of this size are not of high risk and because of this, no treatment is required just yet. You will, however, have to attend various follow-up scans, such as another ultrasound, CT, MRI or angiography, to keep an eye on its growth and ensure it does not reach a much larger size without being noticed. The frequency of these scans is dependent on the size of the aneurysm, with small ones needing to be scanned yearly and medium ones needing to be scanned every three months. Due to its slow growth rate however, it is very unlikely that you will ever need treatment and you should have no problem resuming daily life as normal.

  • A Segment of the Abdominal Aorta over 5.5cm in diameter

     If your scan results show that a section of your abdominal aorta is 5.5cm or wider, then you have a large aneurysm. This is equal to about the size of a biro cap and means you must be immediately referred to a hospital vascular team of specialists, who will most likely recommend an operation. This meeting typically takes place within a fortnight of the ultrasound scan. Follow up scans are common, such as CT, MRI or Angiography to give a better understanding of the aneurysm itself before surgery is carried out.

So What's Next?

For more information on what your treatment options are with an AAA we recommend discussing your treatment plan with your healthcare practitioner. For an explanation of possible treatment, the following resources may be useful, as recommended by the HSE https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/3/acutehospitals/hospitals/waterford/surgery/vascularpatientinfo.html


 AAA – The Operation

https://www.circulationfoundation.org.uk/help-advice/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm/open-aaa-repair-operation
 AAA – Endovascular Repair (EVAR)

 https://circulationfoundation.org.uk/help-advice/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm/endovascular-aneurysm-repair-evar

Aortic Aneurysm Repair
https://youtu.be/A-_dXIXc0hc



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