DIVE LOG AUSTRALASIA FEB 2025 ISSUE 410

operation Team were all there waiting for me, “jump up on the table”. I think there were 12 or so in The Team, I admit I was somewhat overwhelmed but took comfort knowing they all had a specific role to play in this procedure. Fascinating really. … The last thing I remember was saying to the anesthetist was “you gave me something, didn’t you”… and out like a light. Recovery was pretty easy, bruising in the groin area where the incision was made. The device reaches the heart via the femoral vein and is deployed. It covers the hole in my heart, and that would help me in the future. Clever little device. So after a couple of months of ‘taking it easy’, and a successful bubble test again mid August, early September I was back out on diving on Mike Ball Spoilsport. A reward for being a good patient! On reflection, it was surprising that not a lot of people recognized the skin bends that I had. Not a marine sting rash! It was also pretty silly of me to not mention my condition to a higher authority! … if only I had other symptoms. If I had been unwell … “if only”. I am hopeful that by telling my PFO experience that others be more aware of this ‘NOT’ marine sting rash. Please ask for help. It is important. Seems there are many different experiences of this illness with a PFO. So from minor discomfort to being extremely unwell, appropriate response from the dive operator is essential.

Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) – to test or not to test, to close or not to close – That is the question. DAN: PFO and Diving address below if link doesn’t work https://dan.org/health-medicine/health resource/health-safety-guidelines/guidelines-for-p atent-foramen-ovale-and-fitness/ PFO closure animation address below if link doesn’t work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOtk_FSfHpw MBBS; Post Graduate Diploma Med Science - Below is an excerpt from the Divers Alert Network (DAN) statement on PFO and scuba diving and it explains what a PFO is. “Prior to birth, oxygenated blood flows from the mother through the placenta to the heart of the foetus via the opening in the wall separating the left and right atrium (foramen ovale) into the foetal circulation. The foramen ovale has a “trap door” feature which opens due to the pressure of blood flow from the mother’s placenta entering the right atrium, and lets the blood pass to the left atrium. At birth, the lungs expand and the pressure in the left atrium increases and “slams shut” the foramen ovale. Shortly after birth the “door” fuses together, but in about 27 percent of people, it fails to fuse completely and results in a patent foramen ovale (PFO) also called persistent foramen ovale. In people with PFO, if the pressure in the right atrium rises above the pressure in the left atrium, blood can flow from the right to the left atrium. The direct flow of blood from the right to the left atrium which bypasses the lungs is called right-to-left shunt (RLS). The RLS is known to let blood clots pass to the arterial side which can cause a stroke (brain thrombo-embolism). Similarly, the PFO in divers may let gas bubbles from the venous blood — venous gas emboli (VGE) — pass the arterial side and cause decompression sickness.” Click on the link below for the full article. DAN: PFO and Diving In 2019 the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) held an Annual Scientific Meeting with the theme of Cardiovascular Health Risk Assessment and Diving. There was a large component about PFO and Scuba Diving. At this meeting, I had the opportunity to speak with several experienced cardiologists about my own health concerns with scuba diving. I had completed over a thousand dives with no issues but had recently developed symptoms of migraine with aura, plus painful breasts. This only occurred towards the end of a diving holiday when I was doing multiple dives (maximum of 4) on multiple by Dr Catherine Meehan

Lesson learned, lesson shared.

Skin rash appeared after several days of diving

www.divelog.net.au 2 5 65

DIVE LOG Australasia #410 - February‘25