Deep diving and MVP

[luvbubbles]

Anyone have any information on deep diving (say, Andrea Doria depths) and mitral valve prolapse? I have medically stable MVP (no meds required except at the dentist) and am interested in working my way towards diving the Doria, but not if those pressures put my heart at unacceptable risk. 200 feet down seems a bad place to have palpitations start! Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Read this:

http://www.scuba-doc.com/mvp.htm

Specifically the section on exercise at the end of the article. Then see a cardiologist who also know dive medicine.

 

[Saturation]

Anyone have any information on deep diving (say, Andrea Doria depths) and mitral valve prolapse? I have medically stable MVP (no meds required except at the dentist) and am interested in working my way towards diving the Doria, but not if those pressures put my heart at unacceptable risk. 200 feet down seems a bad place to have palpitations start! Thanks in advance for any information.

There is none specifically. You'd best have a visit with a diving doc in your area.

However, the good news is that in a majority of instances, MVP 'palpitation' is actually a sensation of "feeling the heart beating", rather than irregular or fast heart beats. No other abnormalities can be found.

If changes in heart beat do occur, or if you need to take medications for the palpitations, then that needs to be discussed with the doc on a case to case basis. The link provided by dive-aholic is complete.

 

[luvbubbles]

There is none specifically. You'd best have a visit with a diving doc in your area.

However, the good news is that in a majority of instances, MVP 'palpitation' is actually a sensation of "feeling the heart beating", rather than irregular or fast heart beats. No other abnormalities can be found.

If changes in heart beat do occur, or if you need to take medications for the palpitations, then that needs to be discussed with the doc on a case to case basis. The link provided by dive-aholic is complete.

Thanks for your reply. I have had the sensation of feeling my heart beating - that's not uncommon for me - but I have also on much rarer occasions had tachycardia. It only happens about every 18-24 months or so and has never actually been caught on an EKG. And I work in a hospital! It's the tachycardia that concerns me...I never get any warning signs. Anyway, thanks for the reply, and I'll be sure to read the link.

 

[Saturation]

Sinus tachycardia is often not a critical issue but there are no known studies to give higher assurances that depth, He, and high pp02 do not cause MVP to worsen. In general, these gases have not affected divers with various diveable medical issues. A 72h Holter monitor and a stress test can help clarify any conditions with tachycardia.

A Doria dive requires skills that in succession mean: decompression procedures, advance nitrox, normoxic then hypoxic trimix training. These incremental increase in difficulties and depth can help bring out issues before going deeper, longer and colder. The Doria's main problems are that depth is worsened by quick changing seas and sudden currents, low vis and cold.

A story:

http://www.capt-jt.com/story_doria01.htm