dteubner

What a bugger. Apart from investigating repair I have no advice to offer but here is a bit of an explaination.

Your mitral valve ususally closes when the left ventricle contracts so the left atrium and pulmonary veins are protected from the high pressures generated by the left ventricle. When your mitral valve leaks the pulmonary veins have to a much higher pressure than usual, and this can force fluid from the blood through the alveolar membrane into the alveoli - which is what pulmonary oedema is.

There are several things about (particularly CCR) diving which would make the problem worse.

Firstly whenever you enter the water some blood moves from the veins in your legs to veins in your abdomen and chest. This increases the return of blood to your heart, increasing the cardiac output and thus the pressure in the pulmonary circulation.

Secondly, breathing high oxygen partial pressures causes constriction of the arteries which increases the resistance against which the left heart pumps - again increasing the pressure in the left ventricle and therefore the pulmonary veins.

Thirdly, particularly in some orientations (depending on CL position), you need to generate substantial negative pressures in the lungs to make gas flow in. By decreasing the pressure in the alveoli, you increase the gradient accross them again making the problem worse.

Regards,

Dave T