THE Bridgetown Rotary Club and surgeon Kishore Sieunarine on Saturday are holding a free abdominal aortic aneurysm screening clinic for people over the age of 60.
The clinic begins at 8.30am in the Bridgetown Hospital, Peninsula Road, Bridgetown.
"Abdominal aortic aneurysm, also known as AAA, is often called the silent killer as there are no symptoms or warning signs," Mr Sieunarine said.
It affects about one in 20 Australians and is a swelling of the main blood vessel in the abdomen.
The vessel is at risk of bursting when the size exceeds 4cm.
People who are most at risk are males, people over 60, smokers, people with high blood pressure and people with a family history of aneurysms.
"If untreated, a third of the aneurisms will rupture, causing death in more than 82 per cent of ruptured cases," Mr Sieunarine said.
"Many people are unaware of how dangerous an aneurysm is and whether they are at risk," he said.
The problem can be fixed with an operation carried out under regional anaesthetic with a three-four day hospital stay.
This is called an endovascular repair with a stent graft.
It is a low-risk procedure compared to the traditional open repair.
However it requires lifelong surveillance. Mr Sieunarine will be scanning people at the hospital up to 5pm.
Screening is simple and takes about 10 minutes. Appointments are preferred for screening, and can be made by telephoning the Bridgetown Rotary Club on 9761 2375, or 0417 961 587.
