How often does “awareness during general anesthesia” occur?
Research suggests that for approximately 15 years the incidence rate for awareness during general anesthesia has been 0.1% to 0.4% (1-4 per 1000 patients). The exact frequency with which awareness during general anesthesia occurs is difficult to know because patients may not discuss their experience with health care providers. Avoidance of discussion about this problem can be a behavioral response that is either conscious or unconscious. Sometimes, patients have some lasting emotional or psychological consequences that occur after surgery, but do not know about the awareness until some time later.
