Patients' experiences of being informed about having an abdominal aortic aneurysm – A follow-up case study five years after screening

The aim of this study was to describe patients' experiences 5 years after being informed about having an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), at screening, in a subgroup of patients who suffered a decrease in quality of life (QoL) 12 months after screening.

Of 6 patients with a decreased QoL 12 months after AAA screening, one had died, one declined to participate and one suffered cognitive problems and was therefore excluded. The remaining 3 patients (all men, aged 79-80 years) were interviewed in their homes. The interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis.

The result shows that the patients have feelings of security about offered professional care, despite awareness of having an AAA. These feelings include having a relationship of trust with the surgeon; having trust in screening, follow-up checks and the possible treatment for their AAAs; and having awareness of the severity of the disease. Furthermore, the patients experience having an AAA to be symbolically ‘like a drop in the ocean.’ This means having no physical problems related to AAA, and having more difficulties with other diseases or problems in life overshadows the awareness about the AAA. An observed reduction in QoL among subjects with screening-detected AAA was mainly explained by other diseases or problems that overshadow the AAA. However, the low number of participants indicates a need for extended studies on this topic.