my son has a hole in his heart and wants to get his commercial diver license.

[carolynpp]

Hi, My 18 year old son has decided he wants to become an underwater construction worker. He has seen a cardiologist when he was younger (for sports), and was told he has a hole in his heart. I have looked on the web and seen so many different comments. I have read that this can be easily remedied, and other articles saying don't do any deep diving. We live in Austin. Who should I go see. My son has never shown any interest in a career before, and loves this idea. I don't want to burst his bubble, but I want us to be realistic. Who should I go to, to get clearance for my son. He swam competitively for 12 years.
Thanks

 

[al248005]

I would contact DAN (Divers Alert Network). They can get you in touch with a doctor that has a diving background. Here's a link on how to get ahold of them. DAN | Medical Referral Network

 

[victorzamora]

Hole in his heart? Do you mean a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO)?? There are a lot of threads on here if you do a search to give you a brief overview, but I agree with the above post. Call DAN, talk to them, and have them recommend a physician in your area. Every time I've called I've gotten the most useful, helpful, knowledgeable people....and everyone I know has had the same experience. That doesn't mean they'll tell you what the two of you want to hear, but they'll be the most knowledgeable resource.

 

[Peter_C]

We just happen to have a specialist on this board. Here is some reading material from the user "Debersole".
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/search.php?searchid=15327370

 

[Steve Barsky]

Your son needs to consult with a diving physician who handles physical exams for commercial diving companies. The physical exam for commercial diving is much more stringent than for sport diving. Here is a link to the Association of Diving Contractor's Physical Exam form. It specifically asks whether the diver has had a PFO repair. My bet is that if it has not been fixed, he probably will not be approved for commercial diving.
http://www.adc-int.org/documents/ADCMedicalFormFinal12-1-08.pdf

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Carolyn,

I'd recommend the hyperbaric center at Nix Hospital in San Antonio. Their number is 210-223-1145.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[DocVikingo]

Carol--there are multiple types of "holes in the heart" (congenital heart defects), e.g., atrial septal defects (ASD) (PFO falls in this category) such as primum, secundum, sinus venosus; ventricular septal defects (VSD) such as membranous, muscular, inlet, outlet). Each has it's own implications.

But, regardless of the particular cardiac abnormality, indeed a diving physician who handles physical exams for commercial diving companies is whom to consult. A candidate almost certainly will not be cleared for commercial diving with an unrepaired PFO. Even with a successful repair I'd say the chances are iffy, but I do not know that for a fact.

Best of luck.

Regards,

DocVikingo