I recently had a pulsed field ablation which resulted in pericarditis

Posted by gracie71 @gracie71, May 2 10:00am

I have had Afib for 5 years and recently had a pulsed field ablation. After the ablation l experienced pain on my left chest side which only grew worse as l continued to breath. I was given an echocardiogram that revealed a small area of fluid around my heart. I was told with medication, Colchicine, that I would soon be free of painful breathing and shoulder pain.

Has anyone experienced this from an ablation, specifically PFA.

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gracie71 | @gracie71 | May 2 10:21am

Please excuse misspelling of pericarditis.

lucy1002 | @lucy1002 | May 3 1:56pm

Mine wasn't a PFA but .... I had a Radio Frequency Ablation (2020)...actually that was 2nd of 3 & I ended up with Pericarditis also (EP said he may have burned a little too much). 911 back to the hospital the same night I was released after the ablation (done previous day) where I stayed for 4 or 5 days. Colchicine worked just fine - was on it both in the hospital & for a few days after released home.

gracie71 | @gracie71 | May 3 8:59pm

In reply to @lucy1002 "Mine wasn't a PFA but .... I had a Radio Frequency Ablation (2020)...actually that was 2nd..." + (show)

Thank you for being so kind to share your experience with cardiac ablation and then going back into hospital so quickly with pericarditis. I have been second guessing myself right and left about choosing the Pulsed Field Ablation thinking perhaps it was too new of a procedure and needed more time to prove its efficacy.

I was stunned by the amount of hard pain it took to breath and had no idea that was a potential side effect. I believe l remember that it was perhaps referred to as trivial fluid around the heart.

I'm curious since you have had 3 ablations are you now free from Afib?
Do you still have to take blood thinners and an anti arrhythmia drug and/or blood pressure medication?

I do wish you well on your rode towards recovery and will forever be grateful to you for helping me so much by sharing how you managed 3 ablations.

lucy1002 | @lucy1002 | May 4 9:47am

In reply to @gracie71 "Thank you for being so kind to share your experience with cardiac ablation and then going..." + (show)

3rd Ablation was March 2022...so far so good (3rd time the charm?).

Other thing to think about is the "blanking" period...usually about 3 months where you may think it hasn't worked. You have to remember the ablation is still sort of an "injury" to the heart (but a very planned one) that takes time to heal/recover.

I didn't really have much pain breathing after that 2nd one just some shortness of breath....mostly was bad pain around left shoulder blade (like I was sitting back leaning on a rock), tried to eat dinner-started with salad & that didn't stay down so didn't bother with the rest of dinner...decided to just doze a bit & see if I would feel any better & when I woke up around 11pm & was just as bad that's when I called 911.

From what I've learned/read....Afib isn't really "cured" (at least according to a contact I have on Twitter...he is Director of EP at a major teaching hospital/university - he also has some really good teaching videos on YouTube...actually learned more from his videos than from my own EP). Not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to them.

I did sometimes feel like I might be having a mini-run of Afib...only lasting a minute or so.
but was actually runs of PVCs/PACs. Those are now well under control with Magnesium (check with doctor before just trying that though).

I am still on Eliquis since my ChadsVasc score indicates that I should be on it.
Not really on a medication for my BP since I have/get Orthostatic Hypotension. I am on a Beta Blocker but to control my heart rate.

Hope all goes well for you

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