Pericarditis Treatment in India

Ananya Bhatia, a 28-year-old software engineer...

Ananya Bhatia, a 28-year-old software engineer from Mumbai, had always been healthy and active. Her life revolved around her demanding job and weekend hikes. Three weeks ago, she developed a sharp, stabbing chest pain that worsened when she lay down or took deep breaths. Initially dismissing it as muscle strain, she grew alarmed when she felt constantly short of breath and noticed a persistent low-grade fever. A visit to her GP and an urgent echocardiogram revealed a significant pericardial effusion, fluid buildup around her heart, causing early signs of cardiac tamponade, a life-threatening compression of the heart. Her cardiologist, Dr. Sharma, explained that while medication is first-line, her large, symptomatic effusion required a pericardial window procedure, a minimally invasive surgery to drain the fluid and prevent recurrence. Ananya was terrified; the thought of heart surgery felt surreal for someone so young. The procedure, performed under general anesthesia, involved making a small incision below her breastbone and using a camera to create a small 'window' in the pericardium to drain into her abdominal cavity. The relief was almost immediate; the crushing chest pain was gone. After two days in the hospital, she was discharged with anti-inflammatory medication. Over the next six weeks, guided by cardiac rehab, she gradually returned to her normal energy levels. Emotionally, she journeyed from fear and vulnerability, feeling her body had betrayed her, to profound gratitude and a new commitment to managing stress and listening to her body's signals.