Pericardiocentesis

[liza]

Well, I just got back from a lovely overnight stay at the Ross Heart Hospital. This pericardial effusion I've been battling for the past few weeks has finally gotten to the point where they wanted to do a pericardiocentesis. We tried steroids for about 2 weeks, but it didn't help. I didn't start feeling crappy or short of breath until the beginning of this week. So, five weeks exactly from my heart surgery, I checked back in to get this taken care of.

Let me just say I'd MUCH rather have heart surgery done again than get a catheter put in my pericardial sac. They gave me a versed ("It'll make you sleepy, don't worry" they said, HA!). The only parts I remember were the most painful ones of course. They drained about 300 ml of fluid and then put in a catheter and kept me in overnight. I drained about another 300 ml over the rest of the day. The worst was when my doctor pulled the drain out. That has to have been the most pain I've ever felt in my life! The end of the catheter was kinked and got stuck on something on the way out. Man, did that hurt.

Please cross your fingers for me that the fluid doesn't come back. If I have to go through that again...I don't know what I'd do.I think I'd make them put me out. I don't understand why they didn't. After it was over, the nice nurse that held my hand the whole time (what a nice guy!) told me that a pericardiocentesis and a bone marrow aspiriate are the two most painful procedures. You'd think if they knew that, they'd prepare for it better. Doctors...geez.

Has anyone else had this done? I'd really like to hear other stories. I found a few pericardial effusion posts, and a few people mentioned they had to have surgery. They said that'd be the next step if it gets worse. But I'm going to be a good patient now. I managed to finish most of my classes the past two weeks, I just have one more test to take and then I'm done with the school year. I think I'm going to take that on Monday, and then rest, rest, rest like a good girl, since I sure haven't since the week after my surgery. Darn this superwoman syndrome...I just have a hard time holding still. But I don't want anything else bad to happen, so I'm going to behave!

Thanks for letting me whine. I'm just so glad to be back home and not having a drain coming out of my heart sac. Ugh!

Liza

 

[Mary]

That sounds ghastly Liza.
Do you have any idea of how it developed? Any thoughts on what you did, or didn't do, for it to happen?
Mary

 

[liza]

I'm not quite sure how it all happened. They said pericardial effusion was common after heart surgery. I sure didn't rest much after my surgery. I was up and around way too soon. I don't know if it that had anything to do with it, but I'm sure it didn't help!! My cardiologist also mentioned "Dressler's Syndrome," which I looked up and am not quite sure that's what it is. I didn't have much of a fever or anything. I really didn't notice anything was wrong until I started feeling poorly at the beginning of this week, even though I had the effusion for the past few weeks. My advice to you, Mary, is to rest and be a good girl! It's no good trying to be a superwoman. Hope your recovery goes better than mine!

Liza

 

[Sherry]

Liza, I had a bad effusion but was completely put out for the surgical drainage. I'm not sure why they didn't do the same for you. At this point, it should definitely be uphill from here. Best of luck and let us know how you're doing.

 

[perkicar]

Symptoms

Symptoms

I'm not quite sure how it all happened. They said pericardial effusion was common after heart surgery. I sure didn't rest much after my surgery. I was up and around way too soon. I don't know if it that had anything to do with it, but I'm sure it didn't help!! My cardiologist also mentioned "Dressler's Syndrome," which I looked up and am not quite sure that's what it is. I didn't have much of a fever or anything. I really didn't notice anything was wrong until I started feeling poorly at the beginning of this week, even though I had the effusion for the past few weeks. My advice to you, Mary, is to rest and be a good girl! It's no good trying to be a superwoman. Hope your recovery goes better than mine!

Liza

Hi Liza--from one of the other "superwomen" who has been knocked from her pedestal by this OHS stuff LOL.

When you started feeling badly, what symptoms were you having? I have felt double dog crummy today, most of the day. The worst is the shortness of breath and the gagging occasionally like I'm going to throw up. So today we've been taking it VERY easy. I really have this aversion to spending any more time in the hospital. When I had my echo last week they could still see my effusion, so I'm worried that it's somehow gotten bigger in the last few days. They felt it was small enough and resolved enough to send me home from CCF the end of last month, so......

 

[astewart6]

Hi Liza--from one of the other "superwomen" who has been knocked from her pedestal by this OHS stuff LOL.

(((Liza))) This happened to me last week. I was sent home after only 2 days post op, then I went to the movies, out and about..ect...started feeling *horrible* husband came home took one look at me and called the nurse who said I should go in. I literally begged him not to make me go...but deep down I knew I had to. I spent the whole night at an urgent care center where they told me I had a heart the size of a "basketball"..nice huh? It wasn't an enlarged heart but all the fluid around it. They took me by ambulance at 7 a.m. on Sunday and by noon I was having surgery. I had the breathing tube and everything. I was so scared that it would happen again that I did not want to leave the hospital this time...they made me leave on Tuesday. My INR levels are still off (1.5) and they are working on getting them stable. Two surgeries in 10 days is too much for anyone..take it easy, care for yourself...you will heal..let me know if I can help in anyway.
Ang