Diving with one collapsed lung

[indigo_dc]

Hi

Long time lurker and first time poster. I'm an inexperienced though enthusiastic beginner and wanted to pick the brains of the experts. My wife and I qualified 18 months ago and are hoping to go on holiday to Sharm El Sheikh with my family (Mum, Dad, Brother). My dad & brother are reasonably fit, overweight but no other reasons why they couldn't do some try dives. My mum on the other hand had a pneumothorax when younger so effectively only has about half to two thirds normal lung capacity. Factor in she was (ridiculously) a heavy smoker for most of her life and she's not exactly the fittest lady!

Having said that, she's stopped smoking and working on getting fit but I wanted to set her expectations for what she'll realistically be able to do on this trip. Snorkelling, with a decent amount of exercise beforehand, I'd think would be entirely plausible. For instance, when she was fitter/younger but still smoking, she did manage to comfortably complete 50 mile + cycle rides.

So I'm confident she will be able to snorkel at the very least.

Diving on the other hand, I'm not so sure about so wondered if anyone had any experience of this? My guesswork, and what I've told her up front, is that she'll definitely need to get much fitter and if it's even possible at all would need a doctor's certificate and almost certainly sign a ton of waivers. If a dive co. even allows her out at all. Remember here that these would only be try dives, so shallow water to look at pretty fish, but my feeling is that no one would be willing to take out someone "with only one lung".

What do people think? We will still be going to doctors and talking to dive operators direct but I'd really appreciate any advice from people so I can set her expectations ahead of time.

Thanks

 

[Agility]

If the pneumothorax was spontaneous that would rule out diving for her as it could reoccur any time (at least this side of the bg pond).
Why does she have an impaired lung capacity?

 

[graham_s]

I would doubt that any diving op in Sharm would accept her without a doctors note.

 

[indigo_dc]

If the pneumothorax was spontaneous that would rule out diving for her as it could reoccur any time (at least this side of the bg pond).
Why does she have an impaired lung capacity?

Just chatted to her. She had a number of spontaneous pneumothorax on her right lung in a short space of time, not her left though. Eventually it wouldn't reinflate so they removed a lobe and that's fixed it. 35ish years later and no recurrence, but that coupled with her stupid smoking meant that for a number of years her cardio capacity was dreadful. Having said that she has proven she CAN get fitter and is back on track.

I'd assumed any kind of pneumothorax/lung op would instantly rule you out. I think I'll still tell her that so she doesn't get her hopes up.

 

[Imla]

Take her to a divedoc, or at least a pulmonologist. (Not your regular NHSdoc...) The medicalform is the same in UK as in Egypt (I Presume), so If you get a go from pulmonologist/divedoc, you can bring that form to Egypt.
(Although... I wouldn't have my hopes up)

 

[pasley]

Scuba Diving Medical FAQ Articles has an article on Divers Alert Network (DAN) about spontanious pneumothorax. DAN list it as an absolute contraindicaton for SCUBA as the situation could occure again. Sorry, but it is best she stick to snorkeling.

 

[TSandM]

This is an interesting case. In general, spontaneous pneumothorax is considered an absolute contraindication to scuba diving, simply because the recurrence rate is high. However, in your mother's situation, where the abnormal lung was removed and she has gone an extremely long time without recurrence, I think she falls outside of the automatic "no way" answer. However, given that she did have abnormal lung and has continued to damage her lungs with the smoking, I think as a physician, I would want a high-resolution CT scan of her lungs before considering clearing her to dive. And I'm quite sure some physicians wouldn't do it even then.