You Can Dive With DVT and IVC - Incredible News from President of B|Braun

Incredible news for people who want to scuba dive with a vena cava filter (IVC) and for those divers taking high dosage coumadin instead of getting a vena cava filter (IVC) installed.

Divers, I have received an email from the president of B|Braun the manufacturer of the vena cava filter (IVC) that was installed to prevent a pulmonary embolism or stray blog clot from killing me. I was truly shocked to receive the email so quickly, I mean it was a long shot sending this email and I was desperate because I was going on trip to the Bahamas (Freeport, Pelican Bay). My doctor had told me that she would NOT sign off for the NAUI certification form. She called my vascular surgeon who told her she would be crazy to sign the waiver because the VC filter installed in me could not sustain the atmospheric pressure and it said so on the box.

This was untrue I learned. The president of the company emailed me and told me that the vena cava filter could withstand and atmospheric pressure after 8 months of being installed!

So for everyone who was told they could not dive because of a vena cava filter may want to check with the manufacture...

Basically there is a lot of miss information out there and doctors are either scared because of so many frivolous lawsuits or too busy to check the facts.

Vascular Suregon and Family Doctor Say No To Diving with DVT's

Vascular Suregon and Family Doctor Say No To Diving with DVT's
After investing $500 in classes and $700 in equipment I find out that I can not go scuba diving with my DVT condition.

Contrary to everything I read online, in reality if you have a good Doctor they are going to say. My doctor explained in detail why and I will try to do my best to reguritate that information for readers thinking of diving with blood clots.

First of all if you have blood clots in your leg, then you more than likely have them in your lungs also. This is known as a pulminary embolism. This alone makes it dangerous to dive and it is listed on the medical approval form for NAUI as a condition that will make it risky for you to dive.

Second of all, if you have blood clots in your lungs and legs then you more than likely have a few in your brain and that makes its really risky to dive with DVT or blood clots.

My Vascular surgeon said he has approved people to go 15 and 20 feet but highly recommended that I opstain from diving becuase of the many risks.

Finally, with the Venal Cava Umbrella I have is not rated for diving. I am doing research on this now and will post more but the vascular surgeon says it says it on the box to not exceed 10-15 feet underwater on it. (more info on Venal Cava Umbrella)

Scuba Diving With DVT

I have been taking a scuba class for the past four days. My good friend thought it would be fun to go scuba diving on a trip we are taking to the Bahamas.

Since then I have been doing a little bit of research on if I can do this activity with the current DVT situation in my leg and with me taking 5mg of Coumodin (aka Warafin) on a daily basis. I guess I should also mention that my doctor has told me that my DVT is more than likely caused from a Vitamin K deficiency and she has suggested that I take this blood thiner for the rest of my life. I am 36 and I find this disturbing so I am researching the idea of trying to replace this warfin with aspirin but thats another post topic.

My NAUI Scuba instructor has some apprehension because he is concerned about the off gassing stage. He came to me the second day of this four day class and told me that I would need to get my doctors approval. The dive store owner at Dive World in Atlanta has a a similar situation but dives anyways (at least thats what the instructor told me). I am going to see my doctor tomorrow and get the official word because the dive instructor wont certify me without a doctors note.

I just finished the dive portion of the class and on the second day of the class we spent a lot of time underwater and did some pretty tricky emergancy manuvers (losing your mask, taking off your BC and recovering it, taking off your weight belt and recovering it, dragging buddies around the pool and simulating mouth to mouth). This was strenuous and the kicking involved was a workout on the leg that had severe blood clots in it just over a year ago.

As I walk around today (after the classes) I am seeing some problems. I am having the same twinges in my legs that I had prior to my blood clot and after a long stint in the hospital. My left leg is also tight in places and I am feeling some of the same leg cramping that I felt when I had my blood clot. Mind you all of these symptoms happened after the second day of diving. I would say with my poor swimming skills that this was a strenuous day of diving activity.

This morning I was also groggy and irritable. I am a black guy (light skinned) and I also noticed that my skin was much darker and a little splotchy.

Anyhow I will post some of the information I found online and will also let you know what the doctor says tomorrow.

I will post under a consistent label to make it easier for the readers of this blog to find other posts.