Can anesthesia awareness be prevented?
Before surgery, you should meet with your anesthesia professional to discuss anesthesia options and determine the plan for your operation. You should describe any problems you may have experienced with previous anesthetics, and also discuss any prescription medications or over-the-counter medications you are taking. Should you have concerns regarding awareness, before surgery is the ideal time to express them and to ask questions. Your anesthesia professional cares for you during surgery by relying on his or her clinical experience, training and judgment combined with safe medications and continuous monitoring. During general anesthesia, your anesthesia professional will use multiple ways to determine if you are getting sufficient amount of anesthetic medication to keep you unconscious. This can be difficult in some patients. Recently, the introduction of brain monitors – like the BIS monitor – has provided anesthesia professionals with another method to help care for their patients.
