Sometimes life gets in the way of our plans and we are forced to change plans last minute whether we want to or not. Surgery is one of those things that can definitely change a diver's plans. When considering whether or not it is safe to dive after a surgery will depend on many factors. While some factors are specific to the surgery, many factors are generic and can be a good starting spot for you and your doctor to discuss when making this decision.

• The first thing is to make sure the incision area has healed completely and is fully closed to minimize risk of infection. This includes internal stitches and incisions
• If the surgery entailed adding air into body cavities, time must be given to allow the body to absorb the excess air so it does not cause expansion injury.
• Side effects of the surgery should be considered when looking at returning to diving. Some surgeries cause the patient to experience side effects such as heartburn, weight loss, and difficulty lifting/performing physical tasks. If the side effects of the surgery would cause a big problem if they occurred during a dive, it may be not worth the risk to your health.
• SCUBA is a physically demanding sport. You would need to be cleared for full activity including lifting heavy weights (dive equipment, dive weights, tank and regulator, etc) full range of motion (bending, twisting, lifting, carrying, climbing) and tolerance for exercise (kicking/swimming, carrying, walking, lifting)
• A general timeline is about 6-12 months after a surgery is when a person who is in good health can expect to return to the world of diving.

None of this is substitute for the advice of a medical professional. DAN recommends that you see a physician who specializes in dive medicine before returning to diving following a surgery. A list of providers who specialize in dive medicine on their website or by calling DAN. 

This is the last installment of the rules of diving series we have been following for the last few weeks. This one is a rule that everyone who has ever been around diving or had anything to do with diving; NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH!!
This rule has to do with preventing lung expansion injuries. The idea behind this rule is safety. If a person holds their breath while diving and they ascend the air in their lungs will expand and cause injury or death. That being said, the rule was never intended to cause fear of breath control. If you hold your breath for a moment while underwater and you are not ascending the likelihood of experiencing a lung expansion injury is minimal. It is the continued practice of holding your breath doing so while moving, and holding your breath for long periods of time that cause the most problems. 
There are many underwater photographers who hold their breath the moment they take the picture in order to make sure conditions are perfect. Other people have accidentally held their breath while posing for a quick underwater photo and been ok. Again, we do not advocate holding your breath while scuba diving as it is very dangerous and has the potential to be fatal. We are simply saying that if you find yourself in a situation where you think you may have held your breath on a dive for a brief moment, chances are you are going to be ok, but you should still follow the rule and make sure you breath continuously while diving.