Anyone had Spontaneous Pneumothorax and still diving?

[Yui]

Hi everyone,

I had Spontaneous Pneumothorax and got Pleurodesis in February 2018.
My surgeon told me that I would be able to dive after a month.
I tried to see a dive doctor for second opinion but first one saw my discharge report did not even want to see me...
Has anyone had Pneumothorax and still diving?
I love diving so much, anyone could answer or give me any idea or experience will be much appreciate.

 

[CuzzA]

DAN | Medical Frequently Asked Questions

 

[wgw04024]

Oh my that sounds horrible in the last paragraph.

 

[tridacna]

Call DAN and get a referral for a DIVE pulmonologist.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

The most recent issue of Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine has an article published by some of our physicians that addresses this. They looked at recurrence rates of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) in the literature. Their primary conclusion is quoted below:

"Given that a pneumothorax at depth can result in a fatality, the current practice of generally advising against further diving is probably sound. The evidence available does not suggest with confidence a specific time limit on such a recommendation."

They do say that the incidence of recurrence decreases with time, so if you go several years without a recurrence it would be worth re-examining.

Reference: Villalela MA, Dunworth S, Harlan NP, Moon RE (2018). Can my patient dive after a first episode of primary spontaneous pneumothorax? A systematic review of the literature. Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine 45(2):199-208

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Yui]

Thank you for your comments everyone.

I actually ended up seeing another dive doctor and my surgeon.

Dive doctor concerned about the left lung rather than the right which already got treated. He suggested me to have a CT scan and get my surgeon to have a close look at both lung, so I did.

My surgeon wrote me this letter

" This is a letter to attest to the fact that .......... underwent right video assisted thoracoscopic pleurodesis to manage a pneumothorax associated with the right pleural space. Recent CT scanning performed on the 09/05/18 confirms she has well expanded right and left lungs with no evidence of residual cystic disease and no pleural effusion and no abnormality detected.
Consequence, her suitability to undertake scuba diving activities down to a depth of maximum 30 meters would be safe and in particular her risk of any associated barotrauma or pneumothorax is no different to any other diver.
In summary she is fit to undertake recreational scuba activities. "

I am heading to dive this June guys. Wish me luck!

 

[TheDeepFriar]

Good luck Yui! My friends have recently gotten into a SCUBA craze and I was devastated that I couldn't pursue a dive certification due to a history of Spontaneous Pneumothorax. It's been 4 years now and counting and I've gained a bunch of weight, so I'm hoping dearly that I get a chance to dive at least once. This post makes me hopeful, might wait a couple more years maybe but please let me know how your dive goes!

 

[Yui]

Hi everyone,

I just came back from diving trip(12 dives).
I did not have any problem underwater nor after (last dive was 11th Jun)
I actually feel like diving had help to stretch the scar(from surgery) so now a strange pain around my chest has gone much less than before going to dive.

here are some photos of my trip ^^
happy diving!!!