Scuba Diving
 

Has any gone scuba diving since have adr surgery.....specifically m6-L....any thoughts or concerns on either side of the question.....I used to dive often before my surgery and my wife and I are off to Tahiti in June and I am thinking about diving there but not if there is a significant risk to my new disc....thanks in advance for your replies

There was a discussion here as to whether or not the M6L annulus would serve as a place for nitrogen bubbles to form and be trapped if you're pushing the decompression tables or come close to getting bent. I don't remember whether or not it ever got resolved but you should be able to search for it here. Other than that, many people have been diving with many types of ADRs without problems.

I don't think anybody has every found out.

When you go diving give us a report on how your disc feels after then we can resolve it. Have fun on vacation.

MC,

I've been diving three times with my two M6's, but never deeper than 33ft.

My concern was that at recreational depths that we'd absorb enough N2 that by the time we surfaced, if the M6 weep holes became plugged, would the N2 in its now gaseous state cause the M6 sheath to expand enough to push on a root nerve or the spinal cord.

I contacted Spinal Kinetics and posed my concerns about SCUBA with my M6's to 'Larry'. He didn't know and said they had no plans to test my hypothetical scenario. At the time there was a poster on the site with the handle MDE (medical device engineer). His opinion was that at the worst case a 0.5mm N2 bubble could form. If his calculations were correct, that would not be enough push the M6's sheath into the spinal canal or neural foramen.

Take that as something you read on the internet. I'm spending two weeks in Puerto Moreles in the Mexican Caribbean this summer and after my research I'm planning on diving the Santa Rosa Wall at 105ft. If you decide against diving please post some pictures of yourself pipelining Teahupoo.

Jeff

Diving with ADR
 

I am a volunteer diver with the local aquarium, and dive with tiger sharks regularly. I used to dive at least once per week, which is not the case as I await finalizing surgery. I also am interested in knowing the effects of ADR on newly implanted discs. Do you think the docs and/or manufacturers have any info on this? Also, how long after surgery do people typically start diving again, even in shallow depths, say <30 feet?

Personally, I'd believe that the doctors have opinions without facts and the manufacturers have CYA statements. On a more useful note, most people are delayed more by the need to heal from the surgery enough to carry the tanks than by osteointegration or similar ADR-specific concerns. Basically, if you can carry the tank to the water comfortably, odds are pretty good that you can dive without problems.

Optimistic,

I dove Manchones Reef (30 ft) off Isla Mujeres Mexico six months after cervical ADR. If you're having lumbar ADR, you might be able to do that, but I'd recommend putting your gear on after you're in the water. As you're diving with tiger sharks, a known man eater, once you hit the water I'm guessing that your ADRs won't even enter your mind. (hope they feed those things before you get in)

Annapurna/Jeff, Thanks for the responses. I do put on tanks after I am in the water but still need to carry tanks and gear to the dive site. It is now limiting my diving to do so and one of the many reasons why I am looking into the right surgery - multiple levels. After surgery, that will be the criterion again....whether I can actually carry the tanks.

At the Florida aquarium, we have well-fed sharks where there is always a "shark tender" on duty to guard the other diver against "abnormal" behavior. It can be intimidating at first but still cautious every time I dive.

Just want to express my gratitude for those who posted information on diving post surgery on this thread. I am happy to say that I am 18 months post surgery and am now resuming diving after a 10+ year absence. Freestyle swimming is going better than I've ever experienced and suiting up for a pool dive yesterday and experiencing the weightless feeling once again was thrilling. I'll be going on a trip that will include some diving soon and will be happy to report how that goes in hopes that it might help someone else. Thanks again.

I started diving ~6 months after surgery, after I obtained clearance from my surgeon. I now dive almost every week and have had no issues. The rule of thumb is that if something is uncomfortable, you probably should not do it. I am glad to be diving again and thankful for my surgery to enable me to once again enjoy the beautiful experience of diving.