Question:
Has anyone wakened up during the operation?
I hesitated to post this question due to the fact that I do not want to scare anyone that is about to have gastric bypass surgery. I need some feedback, however from those of you that have "gone before me"....(surgery). I spoke to a friend that had the surgery 2 months ago. She said that she actually woke up during the middle of surgery but could not talk to let anyone know that. She also said that the same thing happened to her when she had a D & C. This really frightened me cause I too woke up during surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. I asked her what the doctor said was the reason for that happening. She was told that some people are just very tolerant of the anesthesia and that it does not affect them as much as it does most of the people undergoing surgery. She said that she was told that they did a "test" to see if she was indeed "under.".. prior to starting surgery. The test consisted of "touching her eyelashes"..she said that just maybe they better come up w/ another more sophisticated type of "test" from now on!! Please let me know if anyone has experienced this during their own surgery. How can I prevent this from happening to me, too?? My surgery is scheduled for mid July. I will be nervous enough w/o thinking that this may happen too!! — kathy S. (posted on May 23, 2000)
May 23, 2000
Kathy: I didn't wake up during my RNY, however in 1974 during my
Speen removal I did.. I can tell you was an experience I'll never ever
forget, not that I felt pain mind you.. It was more like a tugging and
voices and gagging sensation.. I couldn't open my eyes either.. This lasted
maybe few seconds at most.. I told my surgeon about it even told him
about a name I had heard spoken.. He said the length of this particular
surgery was not uncommon. No surgery I have ever had compared to the
spleen surgery maybe they have perfected it better nowadays but back
then (shudder) was a nightmare.. I remember telling the surgeon that did
my gallbladder a few years later to make sure I didn't wake up
again during surgery. He laughed and said most people worry about not
waking up.. Guess he had a point..*Smile*
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— Victoria B.
May 23, 2000
Thanks a lot :) My surgery is tomorrow and I am worried about not waking
up after and now you have me worried about waking up during the surgery.
Either way I am going to get to the other side. Not to make light of your
question...You made me smile!
— Heather B.
May 23, 2000
I think it would be a good idea to let the anesthesiologist who will be
attending you surgery know about your "complications" with
anesthesia. Also, if something should come up and that particular
anesthesiologist won't be able to make it, he/she can make a note for your
chart, that will be with you in the operating room, that you have a high
tolerance for anesthesia. But you really need to get with your surgeon and
find out who the anesthesiologist will be. Good Luck...
— Marni
May 23, 2000
Kathy -
They had a special on this last year on 20/20. It is called "surgical
awareness". According to the show, they said it happens VERY rarely.
One hospital stated it had happened 1 time in 300,000 operations using
general anesthesia. They mentioned that anesthesia affects different parts
of our body in different ways. One part covers the "pain" the
other "mobility" and the other "conciousness". When
"surgical awareness" happens, people awaken or become conscious,
but the other two parts, mobility and pain are still in affect so they are
unable to let anyone know they are awake.
I hope this is a clear explanation. The show was quite a while ago. But,
since I saw the show, I was scared also. This didn't happen to me though.
chris
— Christina D.
May 23, 2000
You say you woke up during your carpal tunnel surgery.... Most of the time
the anesthesia used for that procedure is called monitored anesthesia care
(MAC), a nerve block, or an IV regional with sedation. It is not uncommon
to "awaken" using these three types of anesthesia.... None of
these are general anesthesia which is used during gastric bypass. These
are mostly sedation (along with pain blocks) which keep you relaxed during
the procedure. Kind of like what they use for the endoscopy. Definitely
talk to the anesthesiologist.... Hopefully he will allay your fears. I'm
not a doc. but an RN who has worked in surgery. I by no means am the
"expert" As stated earlier, true surgical awareness is very very
rare. Best of luck!!
— Cindi W.
May 23, 2000
Yup, surgical awareness. That 20/20 program aired 2 weeks before my
surgery. Boy did it scare me! There's a monitor, the BISS monitor, that
can detect it and prevent it's occurance. Ask your hospital if they have
the BISS monitor. Mine did, and boy was I relieved! I even had my
anesthesiologist show it to me before the surgery.
— Jaye C.
May 24, 2000
Hi Kathy, Be sure and tell the anesthesiologist about waking up during
surgery before when you talk with him before surgery. He should know what
to do to make sure it does not happen again! Hope this helps!
— Laura P.
May 24, 2000
Hi. Actually waking up during surgery has got to be very scary and I don't
blame you for your concern. I have never actually woken up during a
surgery but at the beginning of one of my C-sections I actually heard the
surgeon say to the rest of the attendants "Okay,let's hurry up and
get this baby out of here" needless to say, I wasn't quite out of it
yet...and to make matters a little more scary, throughout the rest of that
same operation, I hallucinated. The hallucination was just like they used
to depict in the movies...the swirling lights...distorted sounds...etc.
They had given me gas for that surgery and it scared me to death...so much
so that with the next pregnancy, I went to a different doctor at a
completely different hospital. When I spoke to the anestesiologist before
my wls, I made sure I told him to please put me out "fast and
deep"...and explained my reason for my request. (he actually asked me
my reason) He must have done a pretty good job, because I was out within
moments after I entered the operating room and don't remember anything
until I was in the recovery room where all I did was moan and say "it
hurts so bad...help me...I just want to go home". (they kept me for a
few more days anyway ) <grin> cj
— cj T.
March 2, 2001
On my 2nd C-section, my anesthesia failed while the surgeon was cutting my
uterus. (I remember my OB doc. saying "Look, he's waving at me"
I ended up having to be put out cold. So now when the anesthesiologist
asks were there any complications , I ALWAYS mention that experience.
— corpdiva2006
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