Can altitude affect an ICD?

[Clint]

I apologize...

Mark I have been trying to edit my post and am not having a lot of success doing it. I did a c&P from Word and can't seem to properly edit my post..........I hate looking like a dip.....

Clint

[DaveWill]

Hi Clint,
Just thought I'd add a bit to your topic in relation to water pressure, as you mentioned scuba and Kat.
I had my ICD fitted in May 2008 in Liverpool, UK. I was told I would be unable to go scuba diving again. But I kept asking why not? I asked the UK diving authorities if I could dive, and went to see a cardiologist on the UK diving medical council, and he gave me a treadmill test and echo-cardiogram. I passed with flying colours, and he proposed to the UK diving medical council that I be passed fit to dive within a specific depth limit. This is the limit set by the ICD manufacturer. In my case Medtronic's safety limit is 15metres. This doesn't seem like a lot, but it's the depth we go to on many scenic and wreck dives round the UK, so I'm fairly happy.
To push my case I volunteered to go in a Hyperbaric recompression chamber with a doctor, and we went to 15metres on a 21minutes dive. It felt weird trying to clear my ears again. Other than that I felt great. I had readings taken on my ICD before and after, and Medtronic technicians have said there were no pacings or other activity from my device.
So I am just waiting for a "fit to dive" notification, and I'll be in the water like a shot. I have lots of volunteers in our dive club to go in with me (including our club doctor), so I'm raring to go.
Meanwhile I'm just trying to keep fit and still play underwater hockey every Tuesday. Looking after our 1-year old grandson 3 days a week also keeps me on the go and young at heart.
I'll let you know how the first dive goes.
Some time ago Kat mentioned to me about a firm in the US that makes ICDs tested to 130ft. I'm keen to get one of them if they will fit it in the UK when this ones needs to be replaced.
Cheers
Dave

[TruckerRon]

Clint, I was beginning to worry that you'd started a forensic test on yourself of drinking an adult beverage at a high altitude while posting. Glad to know it was just a computer problem and not you!