Gore launches new consumer website to serve as patient resource on AAA

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) announced the launch of a new consumer website, http://www.ultimatesaaave.com, which will serve as an enhanced patient resource on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA). The site is a part of the "Ultimate SAAAVE" Awareness Campaign that Gore sponsors in conjunction with the SVS. It is intended to empower patients with information about the causes, symptoms and available treatment options for AAA. Screen Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Effectively (SAAAVE), is a congressional law that allows for the reimbursement of screening for AAA in the general public if performed as a part of the Welcome to Medicare Exam. The "Ultimate SAAAVE" site provides information about the Medicare AAA screening benefit which answers questions and concerns commonly raised by those affected by AAA. In addition, the site also includes a screening physician directory.

“We are thrilled to continue our work alongside the SVS and Jim Craig on this initiative”

Each year, approximately 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with AAA, the swelling or ballooning of the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. When AAA is not treated it can lead to rupture, which is the thirteenth leading cause of death in the US. Gore's intent with the new website is to help educate the public about this silent killer and to encourage people to participate in quick and painless AAA screenings for early detection of this treatable disease.

The new site consists of many patient-focused features, such as a patient education video, AAA procedural animation, screening and treatment information, frequently asked questions, and a physician directory consisting of more than 550 US doctors who offer AAA screenings.

The 1980 "Miracle on Ice" US Hockey team goalie and gold medalist, Jim Craig, remains the spokesperson for this campaign after having lost his father to the disease. Craig is committed to educating the public and urging those who have smoked, are over the age of 65 or have a family history of AAA to understand the causes, symptoms and available treatments for the condition. Craig travels the country raising awareness of the condition and urges people to take advantage of the reimbursement available to qualified patients enrolling in the Medicare system.

"The SVS is pleased to continue our support of screening for AAA in general and through the SAAAVE act in particular," said Clem Darling, MD, chair of the SVS Communications Committee. "Vascular health continues to move toward the forefront of public attention. The Ultimate SAAAVE website will help disseminate information to the public so patients can make informed decisions about AAA."

"We are thrilled to continue our work alongside the SVS and Jim Craig on this initiative," said David Abeyta, Business Leader of the Aortic Segment at Gore. "The Ultimate SAAAVE Campaign has been committed to raising awareness of this very treatable disease since 2007, and with the new website, we are even more optimistic that continued education will result in increased screenings and lives saved."

SOURCE W. L. Gore & Associates