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Well well well,
	Hmm Stapes replacement and diving?  Well Let me regergitate a bit 
of anatomy that I am familiar with.  First of all the stapes is the third 
bone in a tri series in the inner ear.  The stapes does look like a 
sturrip with a head and a curva.  The stape is connected to the incus ( 
bone two) via the Os orbiculare I think.  Anyway the Malleus or Hammer is 
the one connected to the Tympanum or ear drum.  The part in question is 
if the three layers of the Typanum are heatlhy enough to sustain a 
valsalva manuveur.  The surgeon would have had to cut the tupanum to 
access the hammer then the anvil to replace the stapes.  If however the 
ear drum does not sustain such pressure differential and it breaks, as we 
all know you are in deep kaka.  I personally do not see a problem with it 
provided you can go to the bathroom for a laboured movement and not have 
your ears hurting.  The other concern I would have would be for an 
artteriol squeez which would cause an internal rupture on ascent. The 
reasons would be the cutting of the artery supply to the tympanum.   
There are six different arteriols supplying the region mentioned.  The 
main one in question would be the hmmm.   LEmme think. Sorry the branch 
from the internal maxillary, which feeds the membrane of the tympanumi.  
because of the strangulation that would be placed or severance during 
surgery there may be an area during healing that could develop a 
bottleneck effect.  The would be fine on descent however during the dive 
presure aclimatization occurs and on ascent it may cause a rupture 
because of the scard bottleenck portion of the arteriol.  I am not even 
sure if there is some form of new procedure, however those are the 
inquisitions I would have and hope that you talk to you surgeon about the 
procedure and problems.  Also ask for post surgery check ups to eveluate 
the stae of both the membrane but the cirulation to it.  I hope I did not 
confuse you and if I did well back to my cubby hole I go.

		Peter O'Sullivan
		McMaster University Department of Kinesiology

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