DAN Medical Q&A

Ask DAN

DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions

Little Ear Q: Can someone be certified to dive if they were born with ‘little ear’ — where the ear wasn’t fully formed in the womb and the canal didn’t open?

A: It seems like you are referencing both microtia and aural atresia. Microtia ranges from minor changes in the outer-ear shape to a very small external ear, possibly with no external canal or eardrum. Anotia is the complete lack of any ear structure, and aural atresia is the absence of an ear canal.

Your physician may not necessarily restrict diving. The concern would be making sure your anatomy allows for proper equalisation of your Eustachian tube and any potentially remaining gas in a vestigial middle ear. If equalisation is impaired with gas still in the ear, you could risk barotrauma (a pressure injury) on your functional internal ear. If this is not an issue, then the risk would be severe barotrauma on the other fully functional ear, which could cause deafness in rare cases.

A physician might suggest you avoid diving if your hearing is already unilateral, since a dive injury to the functional ear could result in bilateral hearing loss. Consult with your ear, nose and throat specialist to discuss your ear anatomy and determine if diving is possible.

Atrial fibrillation Q: I have a history of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and had a cardiac ablation to restore my heart’s normal rhythm. My recovery went well with no complications, and I have returned to normal activity. Is it safe for me to dive now?

A: Opinions vary in the dive medicine community about AFib and medical fitness for diving. Some physicians completely recommend against diving, while others are more permissive. Respected dive medicine cardiologist Dr Douglas Ebersole believes that AFib alone, with an otherwise structurally sound heart (confirmed through treadmill stress testing and an echocardiogram), should not prevent diving. As long as you control your AFib with medication and have proper exercise tolerance, you should be able to dive.

Your successful ablation has resolved the dysrhythmia issue of AFib, but it raises another concern. The ablation procedure may have required a transseptal puncture to get the catheter from the right atrium into the left atrium. This puncture results in an atrial septal defect, which will generally heal without any intervention over time. Unfortunately, there is no clinical definition of how long that time is. Although the hole is typically small, depending on the exact procedure (some catheters are larger than others), you would be at risk for bubbles shunting from the right to left atrium until the hole has completely closed.

The best recommendation is to wait for confirmation from your cardiologist that the hole is closed before you return to diving. An echocardiogram with a bubble study is usually the procedure to determine the hole closure. DANAP.org

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SSI PARTNERS WITH VDI GAMING APP DIVING SIMULATOR

SSI is continually looking at

ways to connect with our customers and divers by finding new and innovative ways to reach our diving and nonpublic. The partnership with Virtual Divers International (VDI) is one of these initiatives.

Using the VDI App, SSI divers can perform virtual skills like mask clearing, regulator removal and assembling their equipment as part of a game. This is a great way to introduce new divers to our sport! There are two primary sections to the diving simulator:

The first is a training module that simulates a training section with an instructor. You will practice actual diving skills the same as you would learn in a classroom.

The other section is more like a traditional game, but you get to perform many of the same virtual activities you would perform on an actual dive, there is an element of gaming with gold coin collection you can use to buy equipment in the virtual store. There are two difficulty levels within the game. The first is Easy Mode which allows you to cruise around discovering new parts of the reef and finding new marine life.

The Pro Mode level is more difficult and includes many real-world skills like controlling buoyancy and equalizing your ears. Control your buoyancy, equalize, monitor your computers gas, depth, and time diving in real conditions. Like a lot of traditional games, you can explore, collect gold, and get points. There are additional skills and fun like a swim-through ‘the rings of destiny’.

There are literally hours of fun and education for the whole family. VDI has multiple courses due for release soon where you can explore options for future real certifications. Ensure that you as an SSI Diver enter the referral code of ‘SSI’ to become a part of the ‘first-to-launch SSI virtual dive team’, forever.

SSI Divers will always be given first preference to all benefits from VDI and SSI partnership such as: 1. New equipment and styles for your virtual diver, first, forever. 2. Special access to courses and SSI training specific skills and animations. 3. Added value via real-world benefits. 4. A part of the world leaders in future technology of scuba diving training. 5. VIP entry and benefits to SSI’s virtual dive store in

Diveland. 6. VDI Foundation Membership, coupled with ‘First-To-

Launch’ SSI code referral to introduce the VDI App, we have a one-time introductory offer of just $35 USD (normally $49 USD) including all features and updates for next 12 months.

Simple steps for download of VDI Dive Training App/ Diving Simulator: Go to the App or Play Store, where you can approve to download your personal copy and annual membership to VDI. Download, install, and open the diving simulator like any other app or game. Enter ‘SSI’ as your referral code after the introduction screen. This will ensure all future benefits for you in the VDI system, forever, as long as you are a member under our banner. n