Suffered DCS for the first time and terrified to dive again

[Duke Dive Medicine]

You are correct, it was an ASD (aterial septum defect or whatever I have a card I now carry which identifies me as having this device. It is a Non-ferromagnetic/mri compatible to 3.0 OT manufactured by AGA Medical Corporation. The product family is Cribriform. If you need more description let me know.

Hi Farside,
Had a great conversation with one of our interventional cardiologists yesterday. The Cribiform device made by Amplatzer is one of two that are commonly used here at Duke. Regarding complications, he did mention the potential for tissue erosion since it's a rigid device in a motile area (the atrial septum), but it's been out since 2007 and he hasn't experienced any issues with the ones that have been placed at Duke. There is an ongoing clinical trial with stroke patients (the RESPECT trial) using another device made by Amplatzer that's specifically designed to close PFOs vice atrial septal defects. Results should be out within a couple of years.

 

[TSandM]

Interesting, although anecdotal information: I was a volunteer in a PFO study at UCLA. They were originally studying the association of PFO with stroke in post-menopausal women, but they reached statistically significant information so fast, they had to figure out some other questions to ask of their data . . .