An ultrasound scan is used to scan the abdomen to look for an AAA. The scan is quick and usually painless but may be slightly uncomfortable.
The screener will explain what will happen during the scan.
You will not need to undress. The screener will ask you to lie on your back and lift up your top so that they can see your abdomen (tummy). If you wear a binder, you will not need to remove this.
The screener will put some clear gel on your abdomen and pass an ultrasound probe over your abdomen.
So that the screener can get a clear image of the abdominal aorta, they may need to apply some pressure when using the probe.
An image of the aorta will be displayed on a monitor. The screener will measure the size of the aorta on the monitor to see if an AAA is present.