What If I “Wake Up” (Become Aware) During Surgery?
What If I “Wake Up” (Become Aware) During Surgery?Awareness during surgery is a rare phenomenon, but is nonetheless a cause for some concern. It was even the subject of a movie thriller starring Jessica Alba called “Awake”. Therefore, not surprisingly, it is a common fear of people “going under” for the first time.Answer: First, it is important to understand that, with the exception of general anesthesia, complete unconsciousness is usually not the goal of surgical anesthesia. In fact, one of the reasons for choosing another type of anesthesia is that the patient’s awareness can be helpful to the surgeon during the procedure, as well as providing some measure of protection to the patient. With local or regional anesthetic, you remain totally conscious, although sometimes oral sedatives are given to help you relax and feel comfortable. With intravenous conscious sedation, although the patient is
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