Medtronic Pacemakers and Scuba diving

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Dave, no worries. My concern was that stories of individuals going beyond recommended limits could encourage risk-taking behavior in some. I've run into the same thing with Medtronic when treating patients in the hyperbaric chamber. We do not exceed the maximum pressure recommendation and have altered treatment plans to stay within that limit. Page 3 of the linked attachment provides guidance.

https://wwwp.medtronic.com/medtroni...ChartForMedtronicPacersAndICDs-US-Apr2010.pdf

There is no rational reason to exceed the manufacturer's recommendations.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[boulderjohn]

The case against providing anecdotes about how far people have surpassed their pacemaker's recommended limitations and were OK is roughly the same as the case against providing anecdotes about how far drivers have surpassed the speed limit and been OK.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

I am a cardiologist and a scuba instructor through CCR Trimix. The issue with diving with pacemakers is not a simple one. The reason that most pacemakers are "rated" to relatively shallow depths has nothing to do with scuba diving. It is due to hyperbaric treatment for medical conditions such as wound care. As has been mentioned above, Medtronic pacemakers are "rated" by the company to only about 50 fsw while St. Jude pacemakers are "rated" to deeper depths. some to over 200 fsw.

A more important question than "can I dive with a pacemaker?" is "WHY do youhave a pacemaker?" If a prospective diver sees me for "clearance" and they have a pacemaker that was put in for an episode of symptomatic bradycardia, syncope, etc in the past and interrogation of the device shows that is is being used VERY infrequently and only during sleep for example, I feel it is not unreasonable for that person to dive to the limit of their device.

However, if the patient (like the author of the thread) has complete heart block and is 100% dependent on the pacemaker to keep him alive, there is no margin for error and I personally would not clear them to scuba dive, regardless of the manufacturer's depth rating. I have been diving for over 40 years and always do my best to find a way to people to be able to learn to dive or to keep diving, but the underwater world is a very unforgiving environment for someone who is entirely "pacemaker dependent".

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Div109]

I am a cardiologist and a scuba instructor through CCR Trimix. The issue with diving with pacemakers is not a simple one. The reason that most pacemakers are "rated" to relatively shallow depths has nothing to do with scuba diving. It is due to hyperbaric treatment for medical conditions such as wound care. As has been mentioned above, Medtronic pacemakers are "rated" by the company to only about 50 fsw while St. Jude pacemakers are "rated" to deeper depths. some to over 200 fsw.

A more important question than "can I dive with a pacemaker?" is "WHY do youhave a pacemaker?" If a prospective diver sees me for "clearance" and they have a pacemaker that was put in for an episode of symptomatic bradycardia, syncope, etc in the past and interrogation of the device shows that is is being used VERY infrequently and only during sleep for example, I feel it is not unreasonable for that person to dive to the limit of their device.

However, if the patient (like the author of the thread) has complete heart block and is 100% dependent on the pacemaker to keep him alive, there is no margin for error and I personally would not clear them to scuba dive, regardless of the manufacturer's depth rating. I have been diving for over 40 years and always do my best to find a way to people to be able to learn to dive or to keep diving, but the underwater world is a very unforgiving environment for someone who is entirely "pacemaker dependent".

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks Doc. I have been diving for 25 years and was recently told I need a pacemaker because of bradycardic episodes. My cardiologist said with my condition it is alright to dive with a pacemaker but he is not a diver that I am aware of. I did contact DAN and asked them and they brought up the point of the pacemaker being able to withstand the pressures at depth. I hold an AOW and nitrox cert so I don't plan on going anywhere past the 130fsw.

 

[mafgruber]

Werte Kollegen!
Mir wurde im August 2023, wegen eines AV-Blocks Mobitz 2 ein HMR Medtronic Azur implantiert.
Ich absolvierte bis dato 6 Tauchgänge zwischen 18 und 24 Metern im Roten Meer!
Es gab keine technischen bzw. gesundheitlichen Probleme.
In der Zwischenzeit wurden meine Daten 3x ausgelesen. Auch ein Belastungs-EKG war sehr positiv, da ich wieder regelmäßig langsam laufe, turne und ins Fitnesscenter gehe.
Gsund bleiben und
lgfg

 

[Hoyden]

We have had this issue come up with our volunteer divers. Our medical adviser was very clear that the largest issue is why the individual needs the pacemaker (provided the device is pressure tolerant for the desired depth).