Woman Experiences Dizziness and Abnormal Balance, Discovers Blood Accumulation Around Heart

A 46-year-old Taiwanese woman named Chen had been experiencing intermittent dizziness for some time, initially not taking it seriously. During a motorcycle ride home, she lost balance and fell, ultimately being rushed to Chang Keng Hospital in critical condition. Emergency medical teams discovered significant blood accumulation around her heart and suspected a potentially fatal major blood vessel rupture. Within 72 critical hours, medical teams performed three consecutive surgeries and successfully saved the patient's life. Dr. Cheng Yuan-xi, a thoracic and cardiovascular surgery specialist, explained that blood accumulation around the heart can rapidly compress the heart, preventing normal expansion and beating, potentially causing sudden blood pressure drops and heart stoppage within minutes. The patient revealed previous instances of sudden dizziness during bicycle rides, which she had ignored. Medical imaging confirmed substantial blood accumulation around her heart. Doctors performed urgent procedures including opening the heart membrane and replacing the ruptured main blood vessel using artificial grafts. Dr. Cheng warned that such conditions can occur suddenly with minimal initial warning and can quickly become life-threatening. He recommended regular check-ups for those with high blood pressure, vascular issues, or family history of heart disease, and advised seeking immediate medical attention for sudden chest pain, back pain, dizziness, or fainting.