An individual with breast implants can generally scuba dive safely after allowing for a complete recovery from surgery. The primary concern relates to how the significant pressure changes of the underwater environment might affect the implants. Scuba diving subjects the body to increasing pressure upon descent and decreasing pressure during ascent, which influences any air or gas spaces within the body. Medical consensus suggests that breast implants are not a contraindication for recreational diving, but certain precautions must be taken to ensure safety and long-term integrity.
How Underwater Pressure Affects Breast Implants
The physics of diving centers on how pressure affects substances, particularly gasses. As a diver descends, ambient pressure increases, causing any compressible gas to decrease in volume. Typical breast implants are filled with either saline solution or silicone gel, both of which are primarily liquid or semi-solid and are considered incompressible for practical diving purposes.
The implant contents will not noticeably compress or expand due to depth changes in a way that risks immediate rupture. However, the concern shifts to microscopic air bubbles or trace amounts of gas trapped within the implant shell or the surrounding surgical pocket. During descent, any trapped gas shrinks, and during ascent, it expands, following gas laws. Saline implants show the least volume change because nitrogen gas is less soluble in saline than in silicone. Silicone gel implants absorb a slightly greater, though negligible, amount of nitrogen gas, which can lead to a minor, temporary increase in bubble size upon ascent. This absorption is not typically large enough to damage the implant or surrounding tissue.
Identifying Specific Dive-Related Complications
While the risk of an implant bursting is a common myth, pressure changes can lead to complications related to discomfort or long-term wear. The expansion and contraction of trapped gas can cause a sensation of tightness or mild discomfort in the chest area, particularly during ascent. This sensation results from the volume change in microscopic bubbles within the implant or residual air in the surgical capsule.
A more concerning, though rare, issue is localized barotrauma, which is damage caused by pressure differences in the tissue surrounding the implant. Gas pockets trapped within the scar tissue or surgical space can expand during ascent and potentially cause pain or minor tissue strain. Some studies have noted that cohesive-gel implants may undergo minor morphological alterations when exposed to repetitive hyperbaric conditions, raising questions about their long-term durability with frequent diving.
Another factor is the potential for implant shifting if the surrounding scar tissue, known as the capsule, has not fully matured. Diving too soon after surgery increases the risk of the implant changing position, which may require further medical intervention. Monitoring for unusual pain, visible changes in implant shape, or tightness during and after a dive is important.
Practical Guidelines for Diving After Surgery
The most important step for an individual with new implants is allowing sufficient time for the body to heal before returning to scuba diving. Most plastic surgeons recommend a minimum waiting period of six to eight weeks following the augmentation procedure. Full recovery and the settling of the implants can take anywhere from three to six months, and some diving physicians suggest waiting for this longer period to ensure complete healing.
Before resuming diving activities, it is necessary to obtain clearance from both the plastic surgeon who performed the operation and a physician specializing in diving medicine. The plastic surgeon can confirm that the surgical incisions are fully healed, the implant has settled correctly, and the internal tissues are stable. The dive physician can assess overall fitness for diving while considering the specific effects of pressure on the healing body.
When returning to the water, divers should start with shallow, low-impact dives to gauge their comfort and monitor for any unusual sensations. Equipment fit is important, and a buoyancy control device (BCD) or wetsuit that is too tight around the chest can place undue pressure on the implants. Proper adjustment of diving weights may also be needed, as silicone implants can be slightly more dense than water, potentially affecting buoyancy.