Facts about Anesthesia Awareness
Waking up during surgery can be rare, but it may be a terrifying scenario for many people. This situation would occur when a surgical procedure involves the use of general anesthesia. The main goal of general anesthesia is to put you in a form of reversible coma so that you do not have any awareness or feel pain. Nevertheless, some individuals can be still aware of what is happening. They may respond verbally or physically in certain ways. But after surgery, they may not remember what just happened. [1]
Anesthesia awareness is not common. Severe cases are very rare as well. Some people would dream during a surgical procedure, but it is different from anesthesia awareness. In most cases, patients do not feel pain when they wake up during surgery. Nevertheless, there may be a feeling of pressure. Exact symptoms and sensations can vary, depending on the types of anesthesia used. Some forms of anesthesia do not make you unconscious totally, but it is not anesthesia awareness. Instead, this condition only occurs with general anesthesia, which is used to make you completely unaware of everything around. It is common to have awareness before and after surgery. People with a history of alcohol or drug abuse or those who take narcotic pain drugs regularly should inform their doctor to change the dosage of the anesthesia. [2]
