There once would have been a resounding “No” from anyone who was asked whether a person could dive once a pacemaker was implanted and indeed this rules out diving for military and commercial divers. However, there is a growing belief that this is a condition that requires individual assessment. After all, whether a person can begin diving or continue diving after a pacemaker has been implanted will depend on a couple of things. One of these is what condition prompted the need for the pacemaker and the other is whether or not the pacemaker has been rated to perform at high pressures.
The permanent need of a pacemaker is a serious thing and is often the result of an event that has left the heart muscle damaged and incapable of functioning adequately on its own. This is the result of a serious event such as a large heart attack. This type of event, in which the heart is damaged to the point of needing a pacemaker may be reason enough for a person to avoid diving if the heart is no longer able to endure the level of exertion required in order to dive.
However, there are other reasons for the use of a pacemaker, other conditions that may not exclude the person from diving once the pacemaker is implanted and healing is fully complete. One such condition is that of arrhythmia, which is an irregular heartbeat. The heartbeat may be too slow or too fast and is the result of a disturbance in the conduction system of the heart. In other words, the part of the heart that generates the electrical impulses may not function properly or these electrical impulses are not conducted to the rest of the heart properly. A person who has problems with the conduction of electrical signals in the heart may experience fainting spells. Sometimes the damage to the heart's electrical conduction is the result of a minor heart attack.
If you want to dive and have had a pacemaker implanted, then you will need to consult with your physician to ensure that you have the level of physical fitness required to dive and that your heart is able to withstand the stress associated with the level of exercise that is required for diving. You will need to do a stress or exercise test during which the heart will be monitored and you will have to be able to handle 13 mets or greater on the standard treadmill test in order to pass the test and qualify for diving. Your physician also has to ensure that your pacemaker is rated to withstand pressures associated with diving up to 40 m (130 feet) depth and that it also allows for a margin of error and that it can withstand the relatively rapid pressure changes associated with descent and ascent.
Despite what has been described above, many people do rely on a pacemaker because they have an underlying condition of coronary heart disease and this is the primary reason why a person may have to give up diving. Coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of diving fatalities each year and since diving is often done in remote locations far from medical help, those that dive must be sure to be in good physical health, not only for regular diving conditions, but also for emergency situations in which extra physical effort is required.
If you have a pacemaker or are in need of one and you are a diver, then you must consult with your cardiologist before you dive again. The pacemaker is implanted into the subcutaneous tissues of the individual and healing time after the surgery must be allowed. A minimum of six to eight weeks is required after surgery, but if there was also significant heart surgery performed, then six months to a year may be required for full healing to take place.
When you dive you want to be able to do so in a risk-free manner and enjoy all that the ocean has to offer beneath the waves. If you have a pacemaker, be sure that it is safe for you to dive so that you can truly enjoy the beauty of this fabulous sport. An individual assessment is necessary and you cannot rely on another person's experience. Consult your doctor and if you are given the green light, then you can truly go back to enjoying the sport you love.