Ask An Expert: Stents and Scuba Diving

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Ask An Expert: Stents and Scuba Diving

Question:

I recently had a stent placed in an artery. I used to do scuba diving. Can I do so again? I'm concerned about the pressure on my body and stent by being underwater (up to a depth of 125 feet)?

Answer:

Don't worry. Your body's bones provide a strong structure that keeps your organs from being subjected to direct pressure from the weight of the water at the usual depths recommended for recreational scuba divers. The pressure will not affect your stent, heart and other organs.

I tell patients that they can start more vigorous physical activity five to seven days after a successful angioplasty, as long as they are feeling well.

Thomas Lee, M.D., is the chief executive officer for Partners Community HealthCare Inc. He is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is an internist and cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Lee is the chairman of the Cardiovascular Measurement Assessment Panel of the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

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Last updated:	May 24, 2007

Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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