LAM FACIAL PLASTICS

Hi Dr.Lam

I found your website after typing "diving and fat grafting" into google and fnding a video of yours on a spike.tv website!

I was looking for information on scuba diving risks after plastic surgery procedures, and i see you are a doctor who both performs what i want to have done and is a diver himself!

I found a very intersting article on the DAN website that deals with scuba and plastic surgery procedures (your website won't let me post urls so just add www to the front of this link:)

diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=77

i'd love to hear some feedback on whether you agree with the general comments in this article and especially their advice on diving after these procedures.

I do have one question though. The article only deals with fat grafting to the lips, which i am reading you aren't a fan of for a start. but they say that it is safe to return to diving after a three week recovery period. Do you think that the same amount of time is valid for fat grafting to the face. what about the region where you wear your mask? doesn't that present risks because of the pressure. I want to consider having fat grafting (as well as breast augmentation), but i want to know what kind of downtime i'm looking at and when it would be safe to resume scuba diving.

eagerly anticipating your response,
regards

Hi,
Yes, I love diving. I haven't done it for a couple of years. In the past, I was more psychotic in my diving, really only doing live aboards so that I could get in 5 dives a day. Now, I would rather do 1 or possibly 2 in a day then chill out. I guess that is called aging. I really loved Micronesia, specifically Truk Lagoon with the sunken Japanese merchant ships. Wow!

As far as diving and fat grafting, I am pretty darn conservative whenever anyone proposes water and surgery issues. As far as an anecdote is concerned (not to scare you), I did an otoplasty on a young boy whom I told no water for at least 3 months. His sister reportedly threw him into a swimming pool 6 weeks post and he developed such a dangerous pseudomonas infection that I had to hospitalize him for 10 days and then he needed iv antibiotics at home for another month. he had a risk of losing his ear. fortunately, everything turned out for the better. he looks perfect.

now, that i scared you, the number one thing i worry about post any kind of procedure is dirty water exposure. now compound that with deep pressure. i am not thrilled. in general, THE BARE MINIMUM would be 3 months. ideally probably 4 months post. if you were not really pressed to go diving 5 to 6 months should be as safe as i could imagine. i hope that does not scare you. i just want to be conservative when it comes to water exposure. do i have science behind any of this? no. but, my comments reflect my visceral comfort level.
best,
sml