Hernia and fitness to dive
Hello again,
I just wanted to get a medical consensus re diving with an abdominal hernia.
I understand it is not safe to dive with an abdominal wall hernia, however would appreciate advice regarding this specific case.
It's a man who has had a mesh repair of LIH, and now has a small recurrance below the mesh which is reducible and only contains fat (confirmed on USS)
Does he still have an unacceptable increased risk of possible GI tract barotaruma associated with increased intra-abdominal pressures during diving? (given that currently no bowel is involved)
I have advised surgical repair before considering SCUBA diving, but he is keen to get back in the water asap!
Thanks
Jacqui
Dear Jacqui,
I would have thought that there is a small but real chance of the hernia becomig larger and bowel being involved. Barotrauma can only occur if the GIT is incarcerated and thus becomes obstructed above and below the incarceration. Without incarceration the GIT is a tube with openings at either end and of no risk of barotrauma.
With this said, I would suggest that the advice to fix it is reasonable and you have advised the patient on the most conservative approach.Other comorbidites eg obesity,smoking etc may also be assoc with this disorder and conservative advice would be even more likely to be the best approach.
Dr S Sherlock
Hyperbaric Med Service
RBWH
