Medical Questions
Orbital implant and diving
23 February 2018
I lost one of my eyes in an accident. I have an opportunity to learn how to scuba dive, but I have heard that I would not be allowed to do so because I have an orbital implant. Is that true?
Answer from DAN experts:
It's important to understand that people who have undergone enucleation and have been fitted with a hollow orbital implant are generally advised not to dive due to the risk of a pressure-induced collapse. These are known to occur mainly in hollow silicone orbital implants and can happen as shallow as 3 meters deep. Diving with vision in only one eye can be considered in the absence of associated problems that may affect dive safely and provided that visual acuity is sufficient.
