Is the individual's pacemaker rated to perform at depths (i.e., pressures) compatible with recreational diving, including an added margin of safety?
As with any medication or medical device, the underlying medical problem determines one's fitness to participate in scuba diving after a cardiac pacemaker is implanted. Having a permanent pacemaker in place usually indicates a serious disturbance in the heart's own conduction system. If this is due to damage of the heart muscle itself, as is often the case when an individual suffers a large heart attack, the individual may lack the cardiovascular fitness to safely perform in the water. Some individuals, however, depend on a pacemaker because of an identified rhythm disturbance or chronic abnormality in the conduction system. The area of the heart that generates the electrical impulse (resulting in the mechanical contraction that moves blood) may function inconsistently or inadequately. Alternatively, the circuitry that conducts the electrical impulse to the rest of the heart may be faulty, resulting in improperly or irregularly conducted signals. Without the assistance of a pacem
