28/03/2026
🎗️ Aortic Emergencies During Raya – A Wake-Up Call
Over the past few days during the Raya weekend, our team managed 7 aortic cases — 5 of them ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). These are among the most critical vascular emergencies we face, and we are grateful to have been able to save lives through urgent intervention. Karthigesu Abimanan, Aizat Tamlikha, Shanim, Amy, Syazwan Arif Saprudin, Rahim, Atiqah Najwa , Shan
But this raises an important question: How common is ruptured AAA in Malaysia?
At Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) — the largest vascular referral centre in the country — we performed 120 aortic surgeries in 2025. Alarmingly, 25% (30 cases) were ruptured AAAs.
Taking into account other centres across Malaysia (public, university, and private hospitals), we estimate ~100 ruptured AAA cases annually nationwide.
⚠️ Why is this concerning?
* Sudden and catastrophic
* High mortality
* Surgically challenging with significant morbidity
Most importantly, many of these cases could have been detected earlier.
đź©ş The Solution: Early Screening Saves Lives
This is why HKL launched a pilot AAA screening programme in March 2025.
✔️ Free screening available
✔️ Non-invasive ultrasound
✔️ Walk-in on selected days
We strongly believe that early detection can prevent rupture, reduce emergency surgeries, and ultimately save lives.
This is a small but important step — and with continued support, we hope it can evolve into a national screening programme.
đź“Ť More details on screening dates and location are available in the poster below.
Saringan awal menyelamatkan nyawa.
KEMENTERIAN KESIHATAN MALAYSIA
Public Health Malaysia
