Many SADS Patients have participated in the ICD sports survey over they years, the study is still continuing, but they recently published some results in Circulation (Circulation. 2013; 127: 2021-2030).

 

Three-hundred and seventy-two individuals, age 10 to 60, were followed for an average of two and a half years. The largest groups were people with the Long QT Syndrome and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.  People with other forms of cardiomyopathies and other electrical abnormalities, as well as those with a history of heart attack those with congenital heart disease, were also included. The most common sports were running, basketball, and soccer.  There were no occurrences of death or resuscitated cardiac arrest, or failure of the ICD to terminate an arrhythmia, or arrhythmia- or shock-related injury, during sports. Shocks were not uncommon--there were 49 shocks in 37 participants (10% of the study population) during sports, 39 shocks in 29 participants (8%) during other physical activity, and 33 shocks in 24 participants (6%) which occurred at rest. 

 

As discussed in detail in the "discussion" section of the published paper, these results do not imply that it's safe for every person with an ICD to do any sport.  These results do suggest that many athletes can participate safely, and that the decision to return to play after an ICD should be made together between a patient and his or her doctor based on that person's individual situation and current recommendations.