Hi boatbabe,
There are many potential causes of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the hip; basically anything that impedes blood flow to the joint can cause it. Examples include injury to the hip itself (e.g., dislocation, stress injury), certain medications (e.g., chronic cortisone) and other treatments (e.g., radiation and chemotherapy), and alcohol abuse.
Dysbaric osteonecrosis (DON) is a form this condition associated with breathing compressed gas at depth. It is primarily seen in commercial and professional divers and considered an occupational disease. It's much more common in those divers who do not carefully perform decompression obligations and fail to receive prompt, appropriate treatment when recompression is indicated.
The issue of DON in recreational divers has yet to receive adequate research attention, but the healthy and fit sport diver who dives sensibly and follows conservative profiles appears to be at very, very small risk.
You might enjoy knowing that total hip replacement generally is a very successful procedure yielding excellent pain reduction and increased stability. Of course, no such operation provides 100% alleviation of signs and symptoms in 100% of cases, and sometimes complications do arise.
An individual should be able to return to diving after rehab is successfully completed and muscle strength and range of motion are appropriate for SCUBA. The surgeon should okay complete weight-bearing and full activity, as well as provide clearance specifically for SCUBA.
In the meantime, it is encouraging that a study published in the "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" reported that over 75% of orthopedic surgeons recommended resumption of SCUBA diving following operative recovery from total hip replacement.
The joint replacement would not be affected by pressure, depth or gases since it is solid and contains no air spaces. Whether or not the scarring and surgical changes would tend to be a site for nitrogen accumulation due to altered blood supply is debatable, but the research suggests it's only a minor concern. Other good advice would be to don and doff gear in the water and ask for assistance with climbing into the boat.
Best of luck.
DocVikingo
This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.
