How To Tell If A Patient Is Awake Under Anesthesia? (And What To Do)

1:51 and I'm bawling for the validation and realizing that I am not alone in my reaction to having woken during emergency surgery and having PTSD before this I thought I was overreacting to my own symptoms. THANK YOU DOC!!!❤😢😮

After I had colon cancer surgery I was in recovery and had a bleed out awake. My artery was cut and I was hemorrhaging. They were calling in different teams to help save me. They were going to have to put me asleep again to go in and close the cut. The only doctor worried about my mental state was the anesthesiologist. He and the rest of the doctors couldn’t believe how calm I was. He kept reassuring me that they were doing everything possible to help me. The other doctors wanted me to sign papers for them to perform the surgery. I was in ICU for 10 days. I didn’t realize how much it affected me until a year later I had to have another surgery. All of your videos have helped me by educating and giving me the advice on how to advocate for myself. Many thanks Doctor. Much love and blessings to You and Your Family ❤Please keep these amazing videos coming. You don’t know how many people you have helped ❤

Dr. Kaveh, I've been a registered nurse since 1985 and have worked with many doctors. Mostly cardiologists, surgeons, and psychiatrists. You, sir, have the greatest gift in your passion for explaining the intricacies of your specialty. It would have been an honor to work with you.

I was awake during surgery, and I was in pain! I couldn’t move or make a sound, finally Inheard someone say, “she’s feeling this”! He was right!!!

Woke up during abdominal surgery. I couldn't move. Like being burned alive, which is what was happening. Felt like it lasted forever. Surgeon screaming at Anesthesiologist then I was out again. Most god awful experience of my life.

When I was 7, almost 8, I had my tonsils removed. They gave me something to make me go to sleep beforehand. I woke up on my way to surgery. That did not tip them off. I kicked the nurse trying to strap me to the chair still half asleep. They still didn’t get the hint I might need more anaesthesia. I woke up during surgery. I made myself believe I had a nightmare during the surgery for 20 years. Until I spoke with an experienced paediatric nurse. She said: no you woke up during surgery. Mistakes like that were not uncommon at the time when treating kids. I was shocked. But it was a relief to get recognition.

I was undergoing exploratory surgery and told my doctor exactly what was said during part of my surgery. She was shocked because I recalled the conversation word for word! I did not experience any pain and agreed that when I had to have major surgery later I would have to be monitored alot closer. We had a good laugh and I was very lucky!

I woke up during a breast reduction and I've never forgotten it

I woke up during eye surgery. My worst fear. You never ever forget it.

My local anesthesia for a c-section and following tubal ligation wore off. My anesthesiologist caught on and asked my doctors how much longer, informing them the anesthesia was wearing off. Turns out I was bleeding more than I should of been and not clotting properly. It was unnerving hearing my doctor honestly say he didn't know because he was still sponging. Meanwhile I can feel their hands working inside. I absolutely trust that doctor so I wasn't concerned when the anesthesiologist put the mask over my face. It was a relief and I woke up in recovery. Though it felt like a small eternity at the time, I'm sure the whole experience only lasted a few seconds. That was 21 years ago.

For every surgery I’ve had, it was the anesthesiologist who was most attentive and kind!

In 1994, at age 37, I met the anesthesiologist prior to going into surgery (my first ever) and could barely talk because I had a severe migraine. I had severe head pain all night prior from the stress of the surgery (hysterectomy). I told him I feared being aware during surgery and unable to communicate. He assured me that wouldn’t happen. It was about 10 days after home from the surgery that memories came back to me of the surgery and recovery. I asked my spouse who stayed in my room with me the first 24 hours afterward, if I had passed out onto the floor walking to the bathroom (he was helping me in there about every 45 minutes,). He said “yes”. I also remembered feeling the knife blade cut and being unable to move or speak to tell them during the operation. I finally was able to gurgle some type of moan and they hustled to help me. I had been home about 6 days when the anesthesiologist actually called to ask me what if anything I remembered! But it wasn’t until several more days after, that the memories came to me. He told me I told him I had a premonition the night before that I would have awareness and he would miss it, after he had put me partially under anesthesia.

First time I woke up during surgery was 5-9-1975 at 7:39pm. That was the exact moment the doctor called time of birth for my almost 3 month early birth of my son. He saw I was awake and I immediately put back to sleep. I said something later and nurses,doctors everyone said oh no that doesn’t happen. The fact that no one admitted to what I knew was true really upset me. The 2nd time was 40 years later. I woke up during bladder cancer surgery. The anesthesiologist put a bag on my face and said don’t panic and said you will be able to breath in 6 seconds and counted down as he squeezed the bag. I remember every spot everyone was in and their reaction. I could not breathe! My chest would not rise. It was 6 seconds but was terrifying. Everyone was calm. No one came to see me in recovery which I didn’t like that. When I went for my check up a week later I said something to the doctor and he said that must have happened after I left but it does happen that people wake up. He was there I watched him leave but everyone except me was so calm he may not have been aware. At least I finally was validated that you can wake up during surgery. Never had a problem till I needed surgery again. I started to panic when I go close to the surgery room. I wanted to stop the bed for just a second to calm my self down. They were ready for me. With out stopping they put something in my I V and I was asleep before I got through the doors. I didn’t wake up so everything is fine.

Thank you for doing a video on this. People think I am crazy because this is one of my biggest fears. Read a story once about a guy that was actually awake during his surgery, they realized it and gave him a drug to forget but he never fully recovered because the trauma was still there in his mind. He committed suicide. Mr. Ballen did a video on it. Terribly sad and frightening.

I broke my ankle 40 years ago and needed surgery to put it back together with pins, plates and screws. I don't remember waking up specifically, but for several years i'd dream that there all these little Keebler Elves with ladders, hammers, wood and nails working to fix my ankle!

Wow you have to know so much stuff to be an anesthesiologist. I know now why you have so many years of schooling. It is so easy to kill someone with just giving the wrong cocktail and you also have to make sure that the patient doesn’t wake up and doesn’t remember anything. You guys are amazing. I honestly don’t know if I could ever do something with that much responsibility to make sure that your patient survives and doesn’t remember a thing. You guys are amazing and I give you my utmost respect. Every single dr and nurse and surgeon as well. Without the help of these extreme pieces of equipment and the knowledge of the people who are using them. You are all amazing at your jobs and without you all this world would not be able to function the way it does and a heck of a lot more people wouldn’t make it if they get a serious injury without the intervention of any and all medical staff. You all are our heroes

I woke up during retina eye surgery. Did everything I could to get their attention. "He's awake." They said. Then I woke I up in recovery.

When I was 20 I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed at the same time, and I did wake up. I opened my eyes and I heard the dentist talking and I went out again. Thankfully it never happened again for all my 20 other operations & procedures I've had since then. I always remember the second I go out. I never remember dreaming at all.

I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. But I had to have a Bladder Pacemaker put in at 29 [I'm 33] - But before I knew I had EDS, I woke up at the tail end of my first bladder surgery. But it wasn't my first surgery and it had never happened before. - I heard the fear in all of their voices as I started moaning in pain and their actions got quicker because they were almost finished. Apparently, my body metabolizes meds MUCH quicker than others so now, they make sure I have extra everything before I go in for more surgeries. Ive had 3 more pacemaker surgeries since that day. Its always a fear of mine to wake up again. And my husband has family history of Malignant hypothermia, so now that we know this: he's had 5 Chiari Malformation Decompression surgeries and a VP shunt put in. My husband and my kids all have to have a different way of Anesthesia now to ensure nothing bad happens.

I was awake during a procedure and it was terrifying!!!