Now screening new dedicated aneurysm ultrasound: Veins NZ

At the new offices at 256 Papanui Road, Consultant Specialist Vascular Surgeon Peter Laws and the team at Christchurch Vascular Group (CVG) are now offering a dedicated vascular ultrasound service.

Aneurysm screening is one of the many services available.

Metropol asked Peter, “What is an aneurysm?”

He says: “Simply put, an aneurysm is a dilated blood vessel. However, if it remains undetected as it dilates, there is an increased risk of rupture. Such a rupture, if it happens in the community, can often prove fatal.”

Thankfully, the risk of rupture is low for small aneurysms but the prevalence in the community is relatively high and increases with age, ranging from 5- to 22-percent as age increases.

This is particularly true for the male population.

Currently in New Zealand – unlike the UK, America and Sweden – there is no available national screening programme which means there is no way to exclude an aneurysm, unless it is identified incidentally.

The easy alternative provided at CVG is a simple, non-invasive, inexpensive test that can be performed in minutes.

With Covid-19 on everyone’s mind, now is a good time to get your health in check.

Speak to your GP to obtain a referral or simply call CVG on (03) 365 4502 to make an appointment.

CVG is currently accepting patients over the age of 65 for consideration, or younger if there is a family history of aneurysmal disease.