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Eye Care (Expert Forum)
lasered retina and scuba-diving
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lasered retina and scuba-diving
by Babete-Dorn, Dec 21, 1998 12:00AM
I had the retina lasered in both of my eyes 3 months ago. What about scuba-diving in the future? Can there be an additional risk to the retina? I am myopic (-8,5/-12) and the retinae where lasered to fix tears and holes in order to prevent retinal detachments.
I am not so much worrying about the great pressure diving, because it is the same all over the body. But what if the concentration of oxygen increases (diving too deep)?
Thank you very much! Babette Dorn
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A tear in the retina is a serious eye condition that needs the careful attention of an ophthalmologist trained in this area. Many retinal tears are adequately treated with laser treatment alone. Sometimes the retina can be torn and the retina may be detached around the tear. This scenario may require the use of a gas bubble injected into the eye to tamponade the retina. In this situation, scuba diving would not be acceptable because the physical properties of the bubble could change under certain atmospheric conditions. If however the retinal tear is stable and you were only treated with laser, I do not see any reason why you could not go scuba diving. I would strongly suggest that you speak with your ophthalmologist to discuss this question however. Good luck.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-JL
