Had PFO closed in India

[Hemlon]

Hi everyone -
Just back form India where they closed PFO for 7K - (included everything except air) My quote was 25k here in US. Was pretty scary because I went by myself as my brother backed out at last minute. Everything had already been planned - I won't be talking to him again...So far so good - I'll have a follow-up in 3 mos here (echo and bubble). Can't wait to dive again - I'll probably go in Jan. and in meantime get nitrox certified. If you have questions about PFO India I'd be happy to give you details. On another completely different topic...anyone out there get 'instructor' to then go on to teach high school kids? I'm a therapist who works with adolescents and thought it would be GREAT to tun kids onto diving...Thanks,
Allison

Why did your brother decide not to accompany you to India?

 

[tinglinglegs]

Thanks for your responses everyone,
I'm not sure how this thread works - but in response to closure rationale, I'd been 'hit' once severely 3 years ago and twice in one week in July. PFO was large, and 2 lesions on brain...so that is the rationale. I also like to dive deep but not to deco limits.
My brother - long story. He has issues I'd been unwilling to face - but now I know the real person and I sure don't like him

There are some patients willing to have advanced procedures in India and even the Philippines. Special hospitals, convalescent homes, nursing homes, etc., are being built to cater specifically to affluent foreign patients. India in general, has generous low cost skilled labor and high intellectual resources: they do have Nobel laureates, nuclear weapons and a space program.

Are they better than western hospitals and cheaper because they do not have the overhead of legal and regulatory burdens as US hospitals? Its unknown, so caveat emptor.

My only concern is the PFO closure rationale:

Primary Care Diving Medicine: More on the Risk Benefit of PFO Testing

 

[Hemlon]

Thanks for your responses everyone,
I'm not sure how this thread works - but in response to closure rationale, I'd been 'hit' once severely 3 years ago and twice in one week in July. PFO was large, and 2 lesions on brain...so that is the rationale. I also like to dive deep but not to deco limits.
My brother - long story. He has issues I'd been unwilling to face - but now I know the real person and I sure don't like him

Why wouldn't insurance pay for the PFO closure in the USA?

 

[Rainer]

Why wouldn't insurance pay for the PFO closure in the USA?

For the same reason insurance doesn't cover breast enlargements.

 

[Saturation]

Thanks for your responses everyone,
I'm not sure how this thread works - but in response to closure rationale, I'd been 'hit' once severely 3 years ago and twice in one week in July. PFO was large, and 2 lesions on brain...so that is the rationale. I also like to dive deep but not to deco limits.
My brother - long story. He has issues I'd been unwilling to face - but now I know the real person and I sure don't like him

Those are good reasons for considering closure. Keep us posted then with your progress. In my experience, as high as 2/3 report resolution of their troubles, but there hasn't been enough collected good reports among divers to publish results in scientific journals.

 

[eelpout]

Hi Tinglinglegs,


What procedure/device did you have done to your PFO? My wife had ultrasound tests done to see if she had a PFO after a couple of DCS hits. They all came back negative. My wife practically quit diving for fun (she is an Instructor). She ten had an "episode" where half of her body went numb. Her family has a history of strokes so they ordered a bunch of tests to see what caused thei "episode". One of the tests was a TEE. They found a pretty significant PFO which was not seen in two previous Ultrasound tests. She had it repaired with a Amplatzer Septo Ocluder.

I hope you tests show a success in your procedure. My wife is happily logging 100+ dives a year.

Jim

 

[Saturation]

Hi Tinglinglegs,


What procedure/device did you have done to your PFO? My wife had ultrasound tests done to see if she had a PFO after a couple of DCS hits. They all came back negative. My wife practically quit diving for fun (she is an Instructor). She ten had an "episode" where half of her body went numb. Her family has a history of strokes so they ordered a bunch of tests to see what caused thei "episode". One of the tests was a TEE. They found a pretty significant PFO which was not seen in two previous Ultrasound tests. She had it repaired with a Amplatzer Septo Ocluder.

I hope you tests show a success in your procedure. My wife is happily logging 100+ dives a year.

Jim

This is an example of a good result. To publish this report what would be needed, such as other similarly successful reports, are authoritative confirmations of the previous DCS, the TEE result, the post closure tests and follow up, and affirmation that similar profiles that resulted in DCS now no longer cause such an issue.

I'm happy for you both.

 

[Dr Deco]

Peter Wilmshurst, a physician living in Shrewsbury UK, has been a big advocate for closure of a PFO in selected cases. He pioneered closure for divers.

I last spoke with him at a NASA symposium about 8 years ago. He was a big advocate at that time.

 

[salesgeek]

how do i get in touch with dr. wilmshurst????

Sharon
smorgain@pacbell.net

 

[Lopaka]

PFO was large, and 2 lesions on brain...so that is the rationale.

Can someone explain the connection between a PFO and lesions on the brain?

My reason for asking: an MRI I recently had as part of diagnosis for a sudden hearing loss after diving showed a couple "spots" (can't remember how it was described, like a blockage?) on the brain. I am due to talk to a neurologist about it in a few weeks.

Edit: Never mind, I looked it up. I am definitely going to discuss this angle with the neuro. But I doubt the presence of the lesions/dead spots and a positive PFO test would make insurance coverage of a fix likely............Articles all seem to say it is diving related, which implies insurance would see a PFO fix as elective.