Can PFO Closure Reduce Decompression Sickness in Scuba Divers?

After simulated dives, arterial bubbles were detectable in most divers with untreated patent foramen ovale but were absent in those with a closure device.

Decompression sickness (DCS) after scuba diving is caused by nitrogen bubble formation during ascent and can cause local tissue damage, venous embolization, and — in divers with transient right-to-left shunting — paradoxical embolization with neurologic sequelae. To test whether percutaneous device closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) could reduce DCS, investigators assessed venous and arterial bubbles in 27 divers with untreated PFO and 20 divers with closure devices. Bubble contrast injection, transthoracic echocardiography, and transcranial color-coded sonography (TCCS) were performed within 60 minutes after surfacing from a simulated “technical” (non-sport) dive in a hyperbaric chamber to either 18 meters for 80 minutes or 50 meters fo…

Reviewing Author

Howard C. Herrmann, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAffluent Medical; Artedrone; Caranx; Johnson & Johnson; Medtronic; Prolifagen; Wells Fargo

EquityMicrointerventional Devices, Inc.

RoyaltiesUniversity of Pennsylvania

Grant/Research SupportAbbott Vascular; Edwards Lifesciences; Johnson & Johnson; Medtronic

Editorial BoardsCatheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions; Journal of the American College of Cardiology; Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions; JACC Cardiovascular Interventions; JACC Case Reports; JSCAI

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesHeart Valve Collaboratory (Scientific Committee Member, Chair of the Publications Committee)