Male speaker: Most smokers know they are at risk for a lung disease and heart disease. But few know they are damaging the most important arteries in the body the aorta. In fact most patients have a little to know warning signs that pressure is building and causing a very serious condition an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Dr. Jeffrey Carpenter: Eruption aneurysm is absolutely a devastating complication of aneurysm disease. About half of patients who suffer rupture of there aneurysm will die before the emergency medical system ever gets there. Male speaker: Born and raised in the Pocono Mountains, 67 year old Lee Shupp had to give his doctor an answer to a simple question at this stage in his life what was he most looking forward too? Lee Shupp: I thought my mind -- my forward arrangement grow up now get big see what they do. They where on going tell a little story if you don’t quit smoking we are not going to see you that. Male speaker: That’s because smoking is one of the highest risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Every year in the United States approximately 200,000 people are diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Dr. Carlo Dall’Olmo: While an abdominal aortic aneurysm is basically of blistering of the abdominal organ which is the main body of the main pipeline is essentially a blood flowing the body. Male speaker: When a weak area of the abdominal AODA expands or bulges the result is abdominal aortic aneurysm. Dr. Jeffrey Carpenter: The analogy I’d like to think of is like an old tire that gets a weak spotted and bubbles out. And like a ballooning if the balloon gets stretch too big it will burst. Lee Shupp: May be that the point is just like somebody with -- with the knife that I mean just -- I mean get twisted I never had pain like that in my life never. Male speaker: Once aneurysm is dictated patients may be screened is often as every six month to check the rate of its growth. The size is the strongest indicator of when an aneurysm is at risk for rupture and it is also critically important and determining when surgical repair is necessary. In the last 10 years a new procedure has been develop for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms, using a minimally invasive of approach called EVAR or Endovascular Aneurysm Repair. Its purpose is to reliever the pressure on the aneurysm walls, protecting it from rupture, while keeping the blood with in the aneurysm walls flowing freely. Dr. Jeffrey Carpenter: But we make small surgeries in the -- and access the main arteries that we travel up inside the aneurysm with the -- that contains of devise to repair the aneurysm and places a sleeve or liner inside the aneurysm, so that pressure of blood is no longer transmitted to be aneurysm wall, but rather is now carried by this devise. Male speaker: So far this procedure has had lot of success and often creates a quicker path to patient recovery. Lee Shupp: I might be able to enjoy my life next couple of years, you know enjoying my four wheeler. To me that’s my enjoying and it's something that I have doing with my grandchildren. Male speaker: Many people are still unaware of this life threatening condition experts hope that renewed emphasis on screening and early diagnosis can help turn a corner in combating the often devastating effects of a abdominal aortic aneurysm.