Quote: (Originally Posted by
gtzavelas)
I discovered that I have a PFO during examinations for a life insurance.
The doctors here in Greece advised me to close it but since they had limited experience with PFO closures I decided to have a second opinion. I then went to Switcherland to a hospital that has experience with PFO and diving.
Their final advise was:
The PFO was too small -do not to close it.
Depth restriction: 100 meters (based on the fact that I had been down to 100 with out a problem)!! – not very scientific but logical…
I never had any problem but I am being very careful not to strain my self during and after deco.
Note: Strain does NOT include to my understanding carrying gear or climbing stairs or hills. It means coughing, strain on the loo, lifting.
I would continue to search for more opinion. PFO's have been know to increase in size as people age. One reason why people dive with one for years and then suddenly in there late 30 / 40 or older get bent on a other wise benign dive profile and find they have a PFO. Hoping my partner will chip in on this thread as she had 3 bends and then found she had one, and has had it closed, returned to diving and so far all is good. She did a lot of sole searching and research before the operation
Matt