Diving and Pneumothorax, need help....

[Hunter1966]

I am not sure if anyone could give me some information/help on my situation, but I have been searching the internet for related information on my problem relating to Diving with a prior medical condition.

Situation: I have had lung problems in the past (1995 to 1999) and trying to find information on if I could attend a civilian and/or military diving school after having three Pneumothoraxes. I have had extensive corrective surgery so that I would not have to worry about having another episode... being I am in the military and find myself in some pretty isolated areas. Surgeries that I have had to correct the pneumothoraxes were... First: Blebbectomy which removed I thought all the sacks that cause the colapse lung in the first place (didn't work, few months later had another colapse lung... Second: a plural desus which again didn’t help because I had another collapse lung 6 months later. Third: was a sclerosis... I think helped since I have not had any problems.

I have gone to a Doctor here in Key West and he has tried to look up information for me. In his medical journals is says “No” if a pneumothorax had occurred, but then it goes into if corrective measures have been done like a plural desus and/or some other medical terms and stops without actually saying “yes”. I know he has been asking around the medical community and has yet gotten an answer. So I am out looking for it myself..

Thanks for any information anyone can give me..

 

[MoonWrasse]

Here's some info:
DAN: Pneumothorax & Its Consequences
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.asp?faqid=43

 

[Hunter1966]

Thanks for the information, but not exactly what I was hoping for. Guess I will continue to free dive until a cure is come up with...

Thanks again,
Hunter

 

[bennedc]

Pleurodesis: did you have the talc insufflation?

So, your pneumothorax was spontaneous, then...

Well, I am a nursing student, but my guess would be a big NO DIVE for you...but I am not a physician. If it were me, I would not put myself in any pressurized situation where my lung might re-collapse. The pleurodesis usually has good success, but those are tested/researched under normal atmospheric conditions.

I found a PDF document on who noaa will let dive for them and the limiting physical conditions who they will not let dive.

http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/diving_exclusions_and_qualifications.pdf

This link is a DAN article on a broken rib-induced pneumo. Some good info here too:
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.asp?faqid=43

If you are looking for a YES answer that it is okay to dive...I would get that from a physician...probably a pulmonologist at that...

It must be hard to have to think of giving up something you love...but what if you have another pneumo at depth somewhere a long way from a hospital? Risks are inherent to life...but chest tubes aren't commonly stored on dive boats!

 

[TSandM]

Sorry for the information, but three spontaneous pneumothoraces are a big contraindication to diving. A pleurodesis, done properly, will probably prevent a life-threatening situation from a pneumothorax, but what about the other lung . . . if you had such extensive blebs on one side, most likely you have abnormalities on the other side as well. This would scare me out of diving (but, then again, I've put in a lot of chest tubes and done some pleurodeses in my time).