I AM alive today thanks to an NHS screening programme that was pioneered here in Gloucestershire more than 20 years ago.

Through your paper, I would like to help raise awareness of the NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneur­ysm (AAA) Screening Programme. As the National Patient Representative on the programme's Advisory Group, I would also like to let your readers know that I am available to give talks on the benefits of the programme and my own experiences.

Many people have never heard of AAAs, which mainly affects older men and is caused when the main blood vessel in the body weakens and expands. However, they are the third biggest killer of men over 65 in this country after heart disease and cancer. Large aneurysms are particularly dangerous because they usually have no symptoms. Unless you are screened, you therefore do not know you have an AAA unless it bursts – and a ruptured aneurysm is usually fatal.

Men are invited for screening during the year they turn 65 while men over 65 can self-refer for screening if they have not been screened. I was 65 when I first received an invitation to attend AAA screening at my doctor's surgery. The screening involved a quick, simple scan of my stomach. In my case, it detected a small aneurysm and I was invited back for regular repeat scans to check how quickly it was growing.

I was monitored for around three years before the aneurysm became so large that it was more dangerous to leave it alone than to operate. My surgeon explained that open surgery was my only treatment option. He then described all the possible risks and put my mind completely at rest.

Thankfully, the operation was a complete success. From my own experiences, I would therefore encourage all men eligible for AAA screening to read the information available and take up the offer.

Any clubs or other groups that would be interested to hear more about the NHS AAA?Screening Programme can contact me on 01452 714033. They can also find out more by visiting the programme's website at http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk">http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk

– Peter Trotter, Churchdown, Gloucester.