Corneal Transplant Surgery and Diving

[sharkmasterbc]

I'm set to have corneal transplant surgery and am wondering if there is any data out there on this type of condition as it relates to diving. I have looked through DAN's research but to no avail. The doc I spoke with basically told me that as long as there is no perferations in my eye after it heals then there should be no problem diving. Is there anyone out there who has had this type of surgery done and dived afterwards ?

 

[DocVikingo]

I have not undergone this procedure, but your physician's advice appears sound. You definitely will want no perforations & healing should be complete before returning to scuba. Return under other conditions could result in trauma to the transplant itself or infection of the eye. I'd guess that you'll be out of the water from 3-6 months, depending on healing. If there are complications, it could be longer.

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

Best of luck.

DocVikingo

 

[sharkmasterbc]

Than you for the advice, I am now faced with the decision weather I will have the surgery or not.
I teach and can not be out of the water for that long (besides I would go through diving withdrawl), since I have only lost about 30% of my vision in the affected eye and been living with this condition for 2 months now (driving my car, playing golf, soccer and other sports) I am thinking twice about having the procedure done.
I did manage to find some info on the net and the recomendation was to stay out for 6 months. There have been no "case studies" done but this info was based on simillar data from other fields. I'm guessing that no one really wants to be a guinea pig for such studys anyways.

 

[DocVikingo]

The eye is not my specialty area.

What kind of timeframe did your ophthalmologist offer?

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[sharkmasterbc]

He told me that I would be off work for 2 weeks (eye patch and lots o antbiotics), He is not versed in the area of hyprebarics so I am lookin at being refered to one of the hyperbaric doctors at the local hospital.

 

[Lloyd]

I am not a corneal specialist, but eys are my job. It takes quite awhile for a corneal transplant to heal, so you will be out of diving for awhile. What is wrong with your cornea? Some times, vision can be restored with rigid contact lenses if there is just corneal distortion affecting it.
Lloyd

 

[sharkmasterbc]

Hey thanks for the reply, I have been in contact with a few doctors and the advice is to stay out of the water for 6 months...I've now posponed the surgery due to the dive season just starting in my area.

The problem is that there is scar tissue from an infection that is directly in my centre field of vision. It is causing a small blurr spot and I don't think that a lens will be able to correct the issue.

I drive, play ball, golf and other sports, I have also been ok'd by a diving doctor. It is only a minor inconvienence and I am beginning to learn to live with it.

 

[Lloyd]

Do you know what type of infection you had? That could affect your decision to have the surgery. This is not medical but personal advice. If the impairement is slight, I would wait on surgery. The worse the impairment, the better the risk- benefit ratio.
Lloyd

 

[ArcticDiver]

If memory serves there is some info on scubadoc.com on a broadly related subject; cataract surgery and lens replacement. You might want to check that out. Then take that info to your doc.

You may even be able to get a specific comment and referral from Ern.