Anesthetic awareness? OMG!

Ok, call me a freak, but I saw this thing on TV the other night about people who have actually had awareness during the procedure- it LOOKED like they were "under" but they weren't! They were full aware and felt everything! I think I need to address this with the anesthesiologist! Am I going to sound like a nut case?

No not at all. I was always afriad of that. My mom had woke up befor when she was having foot surgery. Good luck with your next surgery

I guess I have sounded like one as well. This is MY biggest fear about being put under. That I'll wake during the procedure and won't be able to let anyone know.

When I had my ablation the anesthesiologist just looked at me and tried to reassure me.

I didn't wake up and never felt a thing so I want whatever they gave me last time! Just remember this is a VERY rare occurance!

I did not see that tv show...but it all makes sense now...

I went for my pre-op on Monday. I have never had surgery before and I have the same fear of waking up during the surgery...I want to be "way" out - not knowing or feeling a thing. I know what is going to happen and with all the research and insight from the sisters on this site I know what to expect...so that's all I need. I don't want to "witness" it.

Anyway, during my pre-op, I made a comment to the anest. about making sure I was completely under and not wanting to wake up in the middle of it - and he started going on and on about the "tv special" that was on and how that doesn't happen here and yodda yodda yodda.....I had no idea what he was talking about.

Well, now I do! Good for a chuckle I guess.

Ann Marie

I discussed this with the head anesthetist at my pre-op. She said that it affected a very low number in the population.

It happens because the muscle paralytic a person gets in addition to the general keeps a person immobilized even if the general wears thin.

However, this doctor said because they monitor things like heart rate and respiration, they can tell if someone is not as unconscious as they should be, and they increase the general if necessary.

Makes me wonder how the anesthesia awareness cases happened - did they think a suddenly increased heart and breathing rate were nothing to worry about???

Just a last note - I was lying on the table in the OR, my left arm out on a board cause I had the IV in, my right arm out on a board while they attached the oxygen sensor, and I could see the EKG patches being pasted on my upper left chest...

This was all happening quickly and efficiently, and I heard the anesthetist's voice(different person) behind me reading quietly off my chart, "Is aware of anesthesia awareness". I blinked as I heard her, and as I blinked, another voice was telling me I was in recovery!!!!

TWO AND A HALF HOURS - GONE!!!


But hey, it's worth asking how they monitor you being truly unconscious as opposed to paralyzed.

Take care!

I was also afraid of this...I have woken up during a previous surgery, had a spinal wear off during a surgery, needed 2 spinals for a surgery - yeah, I figured I would be "aware" too. I asked the anesthiologist and he said it had never happened to him in how many 1000s of surgeries and it wouldn't be me...my sugery was 3 hours long and I was OUT for every last second of it!

Just before I went home the anesthesiologist came in to talk to me to see if I remembered anything about my surgery. I didn't.

Someone could really have fun with their anesthesiologist with this! Think about this scenario, doc comes in and asks if you remember anything. You say yes, I remember hearing Doctor X ask for the scapple, I remember him doing this and that (all stuff we've learned here and from other sisters). Wouldn't that be a hoot just to see the anesthesiologist's face if you said something like that?