SCUBA Diving in Adult Congenital Heart Disease

• Published in: Journal of cardiovascular development and disease Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 20
• Main Authors: Kauling, Robert M, Rienks, Rienk, Cuypers, Judith A A E, Jorstad, Harald T, Roos-Hesselink, Jolien W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-01-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Adults; Blood pressure; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiac patients; Cardiology; Cardiovascular disease; Congenital diseases; Congenital heart disease; Edema; Fainting; fitness to dive; Gases; Genetic disorders; Heart diseases; Heart rate; Nitrogen; Ostomy; Patients; Physical fitness; Physiology; Pulmonary arteries; Review; Scuba & skin diving; Scuba diving; Netherlands; congenital heart disease; fitness to dive; scuba diving
• ISSN: 2308-3425; 2308-3425
• DOI: 10.3390/jcdd10010020

Conventionally, scuba diving has been discouraged for adult patients with congenital heart disease (ACHD). This restrictive sports advice is based on expert opinion in the absence of high-quality diving-specific studies. However, as survival and quality of life in congenital heart disease (CHD) patients have dramatically improved in the last decades, a critical appraisal whether such restrictive sports advice is still applicable is warranted. In this review, the cardiovascular effects of diving are described and a framework for the work-up for ACHD patients wishing to engage in scuba diving is provided. In addition, diving recommendations for specific CHD diagnostic groups are proposed.