Diving with stent in the heart?

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My cardiologist gave me a clearance after 6 months of the stent procedure to continue my diving adventure.
I am like 10 days away from Oahu trip . Havent booked my 2 tank dive yet. Should I really tell the DIVE OPs about my "HA & stent "? My cardiologist has no clue about diving and what if they ask for Doc clearance?

Are there good OPs that do not ask for clearance?

Pls advice ...thx
 
Running was how I found out I had a problem, Never had an HA, because the blockages were caught in time.
Roger (husband) just 'felt bad' with some pain in his left arm - and it was 'weird' feeling - enough so that he thought it was a heart attack. It was. He got a stent. A year later he got winded on a bike ride and felt clammy. Another stent. He had lost 40 pounds and begun exercising daily between the two events and continues now to eat a heart healthy diet (except for vacations and holidays). His doc hasn't done a stress test in a few years because he feels just going to depth while diving is a pretty good indicator that his heart is sound. He just switched to a new cardiologist and had an echo done - all looked good.

(Btw, @captain, I just pushed your reaction score to 14,500! That was fun!)
 
I am like 10 days away from Oahu trip . Havent booked my 2 tank dive yet. Should I really tell the DIVE OPs about my "HA & stent "? My cardiologist has no clue about diving and what if they ask for Doc clearance?

Are there good OPs that do not ask for clearance?

Pls advice ...thx
Why didn’t you call DAN before this to ask for a doc recommendation?
 
I am like 10 days away from Oahu trip . Havent booked my 2 tank dive yet. Should I really tell the DIVE OPs about my "HA & stent "? My cardiologist has no clue about diving and what if they ask for Doc clearance?

Are there good OPs that do not ask for clearance?

Pls advice ...thx
The good ops WILL ask for clearance to protect themselves, the diver, and any other divers in the water who may be put in a position of rescuing someone. Did you ever get in touch with the UPenn hyperbaric team? They have a hyperbaric fellowship and may be able to fit you in for clearance last-minute.

Best regards,
DDM
 
One really has to wonder why you didn't do anything about this in the preceding 4+ months. You were clearly advised to contact DAN for a referral to a cardiologist near you with knowledge about diving. As the earlier posts in this thread suggest, there are people with a far more serious history than yours diving every day. I can assure you that there are technical instructors teaching students on dives to 300 feet with more serious histories than yours. What they all have in common is a cardiologist who knew their situations and could sign off on their diving with clear conscience.

You can try to contact such a cardiologist now, but good luck getting an appointment in time. No reputable cardiologist will sign off without evaluating your situation.

On the other hand, most dive operations do not require a medical form for diving, so the odds are no one will ask about your condition. You can therefore decide on your own whether or not to disclose your history. That will be your decision. Please note that nothing in what I wrote gave you any advice. It is all up to you.
 
How do you find out when running?
Angina pain after the quarter mile of running. It would stop when I stopped running and return when I started back running.
 
I am like 10 days away from Oahu trip . Havent booked my 2 tank dive yet. Should I really tell the DIVE OPs about my "HA & stent "? My cardiologist has no clue about diving and what if they ask for Doc clearance?

Are there good OPs that do not ask for clearance?

Pls advice ...thx
Just get a clearance from your Cardiologist, just in case dive operators ask you.
 
My shallow diving with aaron's went smooth. OAHU is rough compared to big island for sure. Less fish too!​
 
Hey all.. I'm 49yo.... I had 60 dives before my heart attack last year. Now I'm a heart attack survivor with a stent. That was more than a year ago. I'm stable now. Echo, ekg normal.... Cardiologist plainly said we don't advise scuba for heart health...but that's in combination of bends risk. But what if I dive shallow and skip the deep dives?....
Any place I can just dive shallow like 30 feet along with people with similar problems or seniors? Are there special OPs that did such dives?

BTW I'm going to hawaii, Oahu in Dec... Might dive. Snorkelling for sure!

Pls advice thx
Diving with people who have only OW certification ensures a shallow dive, in most places. I don't have any stents, but I did have a double bypass a few years ago. No heart attack, just some pain which led to the diagnosis, so happily no heart damage. Basically, I just don't mention it, keep a tee shirt on to hide the scar. Being 80, I limit myself to dives no deeper than around 20 meters, except when I don't.
 

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