I woke up during surgery, Have you?

[GatorRN]

I was responding to another thread the other day and made mention of the fact that I woke up DURING my last surgery. I got to wondering if this had ever happened to anybody else, so I thought I'd ask.

It happened to me last year. I had a vague memory of waking up and seeing the overhead operating room lights, and being in excruciating pain. I thought I had imagined it, until two different anesthesioligists (teaching hospital) came up to my room, on separate occasions, and asked me if I had any memory of waking up during my surgery. I was shocked to find out that it actually did happen. :uhoh21:

I later requested a copy of both my hospital records and my surgeons records for my own file, and amazingly enough, it wasn't mentioned anywhere in my records. I wooooonder why...Hmmmmm? Of course, my surgeon downplayed the whole incident at my follow up appt.

Has anybody else ever had this experience before? If so, what do you remember, and did your surgeon own up to it?

[bradleau]

THis first happened when I had my tonsils out as a child of 6. They used ether then. I was hallucinating and screaming in my mind, but could not scream out loud. Boy did my throat hurt. The next time was during a total abd. Hyst....I did the floating thing to the light and all, but was sent back....into the pain,and.... I was not able to move or talk, but my eyes were watching the heart monitor. I went into Vtach several times. Each time I was thinking Oh, ****, here we go again...I am going to be hit." Back then the nurse came over and gave a good hit to my chest. One person did moisten my lips ( thank you) ...and when I finally did move, my arm knocked off the cap of the nurse. I was first case, but went from recovery to CCU, then at midnight I was taken to the ward. That morning I was up walking with foley bag in one hand and IV pole in the other. I had burns from the dfib machine. So I had arrested, and what not. But the worst was knowing and not being able to move or talk.

I have had EEG's in which the brain waves say I am asleep, but I am still awake and alert enough to repeat back all the juicy gossip you were talking to your coworker about. SO I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO TELL THAT I AM UNDER. I have had Versed all other times and don't remember anything, or if I did wake up. SO I hope that will keep me from being there ALIVE.

[wilbur's mom]

YES!

and horrified, unable to move or breath and aware of the tip of the et tube and ambu bag, during an exploratory lap for an infertility workup. He put me back down quick and I got 3 extra hours in PACU trying to wake up and breathe on my own. My husband was in a panic. However, the doc apologized to me and owned up to it immediately, saying he thought my GYN was going to be done quicker. The apology helped alot, but the horror was remembered for quite some time. I wasn't in pain, but was aware I could not move. I don't know what was documented though. sue

[dotty865]

14 years ago when I was 12 weeks pregnant I had to have an emergancy appendectomy , half way though the surgery I woke up crying . Luckily I knew the nurse that was working that night and she came running over and comforted me untill they could get more meds in me. What an experience !!

[biomedsam]

My Dad said he woke up during his hip replacement a couple of years ago. The surgeon asked Dad what he was doing awake.... Dad said it was the hammering of the new hip into his femur. He did not mention any pain and apparently they "dialed" him right out again. The next thing he remembers is waking up in recovery. Apparently, waking up during procedures is pretty common. More common than even surgical personnel realize. Dad was 73 when he had the operation. It may be that they keep you as far under as necessary and on occasion it may not be quite enough at times. Everyone reacts to anesthetics differently I am sure. To me it is still voodoo and I see surgical procedures weekly. I sure am glad we have what we do. I remember reading about surgical procedures during the Civil War. NOT pretty. We are getting better.

[kukukajoo, LPN]

I awoke during my lumpectomy/chole lap that was performed together. I have had seizures so they change up the meds some and all I remember is trying to open my eyes but they just would not open!! I began to totally panic. The CRNA Pushed the mask into my face harder smooshing it down which I remeber hurting and kept yelling BREATE to me and finally I did and that's all I remember. I completely forgot to ask them what happened.

Also as a child I had surgery on my bladder and remember waking up and being all bloody but I was so young I don't remember much more other than the nurse comforting me.

I do not remember pain in either case, other than the smashing of the mask in my face so I guess I am lucky.

[lpnstudentin2010, LPN]

why did i do this to myself. i am scheduled for surgery in may. why o why did i read this thread.

[WINDYLYNDA]

I woke up during a laparoscopy remember reaching for my stomach and having everyone grab my hands.

Hubby woke up during sinus surgery, he remembers the hammer coming down and breaking his nose.

Daughter woke up during surgery to insert tubes/ears, she became horrified at the sight of a doctor and had dreams that we, her parents, wouldn't do anything to help her when she needed our help. She was very young but quite verbal at that age.

Doctors refused to discuss these issues on all occasions.

windylynda

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

My Dad said he woke up during his hip replacement a couple of years ago. The surgeon asked Dad what he was doing awake.... Dad said it was the hammering of the new hip into his femur. He did not mention any pain and apparently they "dialed" him right out again. The next thing he remembers is waking up in recovery. Apparently, waking up during procedures is pretty common. More common than even surgical personnel realize. Dad was 73 when he had the operation. It may be that they keep you as far under as necessary and on occasion it may not be quite enough at times. Everyone reacts to anesthetics differently I am sure. To me it is still voodoo and I see surgical procedures weekly. I sure am glad we have what we do. I remember reading about surgical procedures during the Civil War. NOT pretty. We are getting better.

Almost 100% of hip and knee replacements are done under spinal anesthesia with sedation. That's why a lot of posters are reporting hearing conversations but not having any pain. If you're obese or have a history of sleep apnea, we are not as liberal with the sedation because we don't want to have any problems with hypoxia or hypercarbia(more bleeding). Recall is so common in c-sections under general (we only general anesthesia for sections under direst of circumstances). I tell the c-section mothers that they may remember hearing their baby cry but will not feel pain. When the baby is out, the anesthesia will become much deeper. But when I read some of these stories, I gotta wonder if the anesthesia person was clean and sober at the time. Or maybe working the day after call when they should be home recupering from the previous 24 hours (post-call work is rather common but I refuse to do it). No one knows if the BIS monitors work. Most of the time I think they do, but a case yesterday that reminded me that its only a stupid machine and I'm not going to treat this patient by the number. Remember, the makers all these pretty toys only make money when you buy their magic machine and then pay for all the throw away sensors. Those of you are get hyper just thinking about your awake in pain experiences might need to be treated for PTSD. Going through physical pain and being helpless to move at the same time is bad enough, but for lots of people, it can trigger off other, older anxieties.

[kukukajoo, LPN]

I wanted to add that my experiences with anesthesia are a big part of why I want to be a CRNA if I can stand going to school that long. I remeber the CRNA, Doc when I was little took me into the OR and showed me ALL the equipment and explained so much to me. The whys and the hows and how I would respond, etc. He took the time to answer all my questions and to provide a clear understanding. You gotta understand I was a gifted child and always asked way too many questions and I think this amused him enough to engage him! He enthralled me and was almost god-like after that!

When I awoke I wanted to know why when I was a kid but my questions were dismissed by my mom. I then started to read as much about medicine as I could.

The machinery today is NOTHING like they used then!

[chinma]

omg! this happened to me in 1975 when i was having a thyroidectomy. i was told years later by another anesthesiologist who was doing my pre-op exam that during that time there had been a lot of incidents of that happening and that it was due to the anesthesia that was used.

i can recall it as clearly as yesterday. it was a very emotional experience. i was aware of waking up. i couldn't move or see anything. i now know that it was because i was paralyzed with pavulon most likely and that my eyes had probably been covered with drapes since they were working on my neck. i tried desperately to shout out that i was awake, but couldn't make a sound. again, because i was paralyzed and although i don't remember feeling the presence of the endotracheal tube, i was intubated. then, i felt the surgeon cutting and working on my neck. and, it hurt! he was rough! i was trying in the worst way to say something or move to let them know i was awake and just wasn't being successful. my hearing was very acute though. it seemed like i could hear everything that was going on. then, i distinctly heard my surgeon, in his very distinctive southern accent, say, "jesus christ!" and i heard what sounded like someone a bucket of instruments fall over and all the activity on my neck stopped. so, did the pain, thank god. and, then i went back to sleep. when i saw the surgeon the next day, i told him i had woke up during the surgery and heard him say "jesus christ!" he nor the anesthesiologist who visited me too never acknowledged that i had woken up during the surgery, but they didn't deny it either. i know what i experienced. i have no doubt that it was my surgeon's very distinctive voice i heard using jesus' name!

since, i've had a number of surgeries and told every anesthesiologist about the experience. more than one has told me about the phenomenon of people occasionally waking up during surgery. they all have assured me it shouldn't happen again and it never has. the scariest has been that for the last two surgeries they told me they would have to intubate me while i was awake. that scared me because when i worked on stepdown and as a supervisor i assisted many intubations. if i was awake, i sure don't remember. i just hope i didn't do anything embarrassing or punch anyone. this past summer i had surgery yet again and was told afterward that they had a lot of difficulty intubating me. great! i'm sure it's not because i was uncooperative. i've had a number of surgeries as well as major radiation therapy to my head and neck so i'm sure my airway is pretty well beaten up. i'm glad they didn't tell me until after.

hi,please i would like to know how u feel having removed your thyroid.are you on life long medication?please am scared of your experience in the theater,waking up and no one even noticed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

am going for the same surgery next month and am even scared of ordinary needle pricks,not to talk of waking up during surgery!!!!!!! that alone could send one to the grave,infact tomorow am going to meet the anasthetist and seriously tell him to handle me with care.

please i really would appreciate if you could share your experience with me ,let me know the side effects since you have had the surgery.

thanks. better still u can send me a private message ,am really scared now:nono: i dont wanna wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[maryloufu]

My aunt had something on her spinal cord to help with chronic pain (sorry, I can't remember exactly what and she has passed since), and she had to go into surgery to get "the battery in my butt' fixed.She said she remembered waking up and moving a bit and someone said, "Is she waking up?" and my aunt said "She's awake!" I think they put her back out, but my aunt always enjoyed talking about that.

I was awake during my Csection- I did not feel pain, but I felt the sensation of my skin being cut and all of the tugging around. I had seen several Csections in school and so as I lay there in the OR I imagined how I must look opened up and all. Also, my CRNA was a student. He was very nice and walked me through the whole thing, but secretly I REALLY did not want a student for anesthesia- I was afraid of hurting or being permanently paralyzed from the procedure. However, I did not balk at having a student, since I am a new grad myself I understand that everyone starts somewhere. It might have been easier if the CRNA who was overseeing him would have been more involved. My sister said"Who's that guy reading the paper over there?' (in the OR!) and I said- 'um I think he is the student's preceptor" Thankfully everything turned out fine, After they got my dd out I did ask for some Versed, because I was also getting a tubal done. I do not think I got any because I remember everything- including the sensation of them stuffing my uterus back in. But I was not in pain- so I guess it was successful.

I also have had a gastric bypass. They intubated me before they put me to sleep because I was so large. That was not fun at all. The CRNA was very reassuring, he had the meds right at my IV and said "I will push it right after I get past your vocal cords." I remember briefly gagging and then waking up in recovery with a sore belly.

[Tim1957]

Had this happen during oral surgery using IV sedation. At the time the oral surgeon was grinding down some excess bone growth on the bottom of my mouth. Yes it hurt like... I remember bringing up my arm, they pushed my arm back down and I heard the surgeon say give him a little more. That's the last thing I remember until they woke me up. I chuckled about it afterwords. But I would not want this to happen under a general!!!!