Quote: (Originally Posted by Richard Harris)
Bove, AA: Risk of Decompression Sickness with Patent Foramen Ovale. Undersea and Hyperbaric Research Sept, 1998
(stuff snipped)
With the risk of DCI in recreational divers of about 1:10 000, and of serious neurological DCI maybe 10 times less than that, it is very hard to justify routine screening of a problem that occurs in 11, 19 or 27% of the population at post mortem (the 3 studies I recall). I accept that tech divers have a higher risk of DCI than recreational divers, and that I would feel nervous about doing big dives if I knew I had PFO that shunted under modest provocation. I have no plans to be screened however. I'd feel pretty silly if I had a stroke whilst undergoing a procedure to fix an asymptomatic problem, that had yet to cause me problems with my diving. My personal opinion only.
If you don't have a problem, then no problem. But if you've had a neurological hit (I couldn't speak properly and my balance was screwed) then the PFO has just moved out of the category of "asymptomatic".
Your chances of a stroke after? Not big, but do remember to take the anticlotting medicine they gave you!! And the antibiotics. The benefits definately outweigh the risks.
If you get a neuro bend after a deep trimix dive, get checked. If you have a PFO, get it fixed. Then go diving again with a "normal" risk of DCS.
Whatever normal might mean.....
