Chest surgery & diving

[Bubbletrubble]

So would it be safe to say that any thoracotomy that is not followed up by a clearance from a dive savvy pulmonologist, including a high resolution CT scan and PFTs, is a contraindication?

I know I've restated it somewhat backward, but I know what it takes to actually find a dive savvy pulmonologist.

In the medical world, "contraindication" refers to a specific type of intervention (pharmacologic, surgical, procedural) that should not be used because it could be harmful to the patient. Contraindication is such an absolute term. I'd prefer not to use it.

It would probably be more correct to say the following:
"For a patient interested in scuba diving, it is highy advisable after thoracotomy or any surgical procedure involving the lungs and/or chest wall to follow up with a dive savvy pulmonologist. Dive clearance should be determined using a combination of imaging techniques (e.g., high resolution CT scan) and PFTs."

 

[Thalassamania]

I use the "C" word because the original phrase was, "any thorocotomy is an absolute contraindication to diving."

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I use the "C" word because the original phrase was, "any thorocotomy is an absolute contraindication to diving."

Oops. I see that now. My mistake.

FYI, I edited my previous post a little.

 

[TSandM]

There are conditions for which a thoracotomy is done which would have essentially no implications for diving. For example, a pleurodesis for a persistent effusion, assuming it was successful, would not preclude diving. In fact, a pleurodesis done for persistent air leak after traumatic pneumothorax would probably have no implications for diving, if enough time elapsed between the procedure and the desire to dive. A biopsy of a pulmonary nodule which proved benign, in the absence of underlying pulmonary disease, might also fall into this category.

Thoracotomy is an incision. It's made for a lot of different reasons, some of which have heavy implications for divers and some of which don't. The physicians who did the procedure know why it was done, and should have some idea of whether the underlying diagnosis is of concern or not.

 

[Thalassamania]

It was my understanding (and this is real old time, I know) that any incision into the visceral pleural ended your diving career.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

It was my understanding (and this is real old time, I know) that any incision into the visceral pleural ended your diving career.

That isn't the case nowadays for all of the reasons that TSandM listed. In the days before advanced imaging techniques, I can imagine why that may have been a blanket policy for any profession which entails frequent diving.

 

[Dcyre]

The reason for my surgery was for a biopsy on a very small nodule on the bottom of my right lung which came back benign as I said before I had no post-op complications no surgically induced pneumothorax and not prone to any I have to apoligize for not enough info before the surgery was done laproscopically and I do have a appt with my doc with the RTSC medical form for guidance again sorry for not putting the info in the prior thread

BTW thanks for all the replies to the post

 

[TSandM]

Assuming you have no underlying lung disease (emphysema, COPD) and the surgery was a simple biopsy of a solitary nodule, I think it's quite likely that you will be able to dive again. Of course, your local physician has more information than I do, but that's my take on it.