TUe and Catharina Hospital will start a major research project this month to develop techniques to predict the growth of abdominal aneurysms, large dilations of the abdominal aorta.
Ruptured abdominal aneurysms are often fatal, which means patients need to be examined frequently. The new techniques will help characterize the state of the aorta. This will reduce the required frequency of examinations, which in turn will save cost. And they should also help to reduce the number of patients who suffer ruptures of the aorta in between checks.
An estimated 700,000 people in Western Europe have abdominal aneurysms. This number will continue to grow in the coming years because of population aging, and aneurysms primarily occur among older people. There were 748 fatalities in the Netherlands in 2011 through ruptures of the aorta.
Source: TUe
