Shuffling makes stepping on or startling a ray less likely, and it increases the chances that rays will swim away to avoid contact. Stingrays are not aggressive animals, but their barbed tails are effective defense mechanisms capable of causing lacerations or punctures of the foot or lower leg. Even stepping over a stingray may be perceived as a potential threat and prompt defensive action. Their flattened bodies facilitate effective concealment beneath the sand, making them difficult to see. Stingray injuries most often occur when the animal is accidentally stepped on or startled. One of the divers in my group was very diligent about always wading into the water using a technique he called the “stingray shuffle.” Might that technique actually decrease the likelihood of a stingray injury?Ī: Shuffling your feet while entering and exiting the water may indeed reduce your risk of being stung by a stingray. Q: Last week I did some shore diving in the Caribbean. These concerns should all be discussed with a pulmonologist and, ideally, a doctor with training in dive medicine. Other potential problems to consider include the risk of disease recurrence, any effects of radiation or chemotherapy, the type of diving to be done (recreational, technical or professional, for example) and whether the diver could survive with only the operated lung if a dive accident caused a severe injury to the normal lung. A diver’s exercise capacity must also be assessed to see if physical performance can be maintained during dives. These may cause areas of the lung to be tethered and more susceptible to injury or tearing during the changes in pressure and volume that occur while diving.Īfter surgery, a person’s lung function (ability to move air in and out of the lungs) changes, and this must be evaluated prior to diving. ![]() One postsurgical problem that can increase this risk is the development of adhesions or scar tissue between the surface of the lung and the chest wall. The primary concern for divers is the risk of pulmonary overexpansion or pulmonary barotrauma. Lung surgery is subject to a variety of potential complications. Lung surgery may also be conducted because of severe emphysema, trauma, severe infection of the lungs (tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, etc.), infection of the membranes that line the lungs (empyema), cystic fibrosis, massive bleeding and many other reasons.įollowing surgery, divers must be sure the lung has completely healed a persistent broncho-pleural fistula (communication between the lung and the space surrounding it) could be life-threatening during a dive, particularly during ascent. ![]() Both VATS and thoracotomy allow a surgeon to visually inspect, remove and/or repair tissue. In VATS, the lung is observed using a camera and a series of small incisions, as in laparoscopic procedures (minimally invasive abdominal surgery). In an open procedure, the lung is reached through an incision known as a thoracotomy, which allows for direct visualization of the lung. The surgical approach or technique used will depend on various factors, but it will consist of either an open procedure or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Lung cancer, for example, may require surgical removal of the diseased tissue via the chest wall. There are myriad lung conditions that require surgery. ![]() A: Lung surgery is done to get a better look at a patient’s lung tissues, often to diagnose, biopsy, repair and/or remove an underlying condition.
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