How often does anesthesia awareness occur?
RARELY. Patients should feel assured that they will remain completely sedated during any surgical procedure. An anesthesiologist remains in the operating room during one’s surgery, closely monitoring one’s vitals and level of consciousness. Many operating rooms have a BIS monitor (Bispectral index) that provides a BIS value ranging from 0 to 100. This value reflects a patient’s level of consciousness (A value of 0 represents EEG silence; close to 100 represents a fully awake adult; and the range between 40 and 60 equals the value recommended for a patient under general anesthesia). If one’s heart rate became slightly elevated, the anesthesiologist would detect it and alert the surgeon. According to a study sponsored by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, for approximately fifteen years, the incidence rate of awareness during general anesthesia has been 0.1-0.4% (1-4 for 1000 patients). The statistics may be difficult to calculate due the fact that many patients who experience aw
