Anesthesia Awareness - What you need to know about this

Have you ever had an operation, that is, a surgery? Or are you planning to have one in the future? If so, one of your biggest fears might be, 'What if I wake up during the operation?' This fear is exacerbated by the fact that some movies show things like this. So today, let's talk about whether this can really happen, what it means medically, and what we need to know about it.

What exactly is Anesthesia Awareness?

Simply put, this is when someone regains some level of consciousness during surgery under general anesthesia. But it's a little different from what we normally call "waking up." Rather than being fully conscious, it's more like having brief moments of awareness. This experience can vary from person to person.

Someone who faces this situation during surgery may experience the following:

• Hearing what's happening around you, what the doctors are saying.
• It's like being in a dream.
• Suddenly regaining consciousness and realizing that you can't move or speak.
• Feeling some pressure on the body, and in some very rare cases, feeling pain .

How common is this? Should we really be afraid?

This is actually a very rare occurrence. So there's no need to worry unnecessarily about it. But it's hard to say exactly how many people this happens to. The reason is that some people don't remember it happening until a week or two after surgery. Others remember it right away, but don't tell their doctors about it.

Research has found that this condition occurs in only 1 or 2 out of 1,000 surgeries. That's less than 0.2% of cases . So you can see how rare this is.

Okay, so why is this happening? What are the reasons?

This ``Anesthesia Awareness'' condition can occur for three main reasons. Let's see what they are clearly.

Who is most at risk for this condition?

Some people are more likely to experience this condition (Anesthesia Awareness) than others.

• For smokers
• For those who have multiple medical conditions at the same time
• For those with breathing difficulties (such as respiratory diseases)
• For those with a history of drug or alcohol addiction (Substance Use Disorder - SUD)

Also, this risk may be slightly increased in some surgeries where it is not safe to administer general anesthesia.

• Cesarean sections (C-sections)
• Heart surgery
• Emergency surgery due to an accident or excessive bleeding

Do you feel any pain at this time? Are there any long-term effects?

This is the biggest problem for many people. Feeling pain is very rare , but it is not impossible. Although most people remember hearing sounds, some people have reported feeling a sore throat or pain at the incision site due to the intubation tube.

Not everyone who experiences this experience will experience long-term effects. However, if the experience is severe, some people may experience psychological problems such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Nightmare disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

When these kinds of mental problems arise, they may be afraid to see doctors or go to hospitals. Then, there is a possibility that their other illnesses will not be treated. So, if you have a similar experience, meeting with a psychiatrist or a counselor and talking about it will be a great strength in your life.

Can't the doctors find this during the operation?

This is a bit of a complicated question. Anesthesiologists can tell for sure if you're under anesthesia. They do this by monitoring your vital signs - things like your blood pressure, breathing rate, and the size of your pupils.

But now there are modern techniques that can help with this. These methods can measure the electrical activity of your brain during surgery. Through this, we can estimate how much consciousness you have.

• Electroencephalogram (EEG): This involves attaching small sensors to your head and monitoring the electrical patterns of your brain.
• Bispectral Index™ (BIS) Monitor: This is the most reliable method available. It takes EEG data and generates a value between 0 and 100. The lower the value, the deeper the anesthesia. Doctors usually try to keep this value between 40 and 60 .
• Auditory Evoked Potentials (AEP) monitor: This involves placing headphones in your ears and playing certain sounds. The depth of anesthesia is then determined by measuring how your brain responds to those sounds.
• Narcotrend®: This is also a device that measures the depth of anesthesia using ``EEG'' data, similar to the ``BIS'' monitor.

Are there things we can do to reduce the chance of this happening?

Yes, you can help reduce this risk. Be sure to discuss these things with your anesthesiologist before surgery.

• Tell your doctor about all the medications you take: Over-the-counter medications, vitamins, traditional medicines, and supplements.
• Tell us your complete medical history: Tell us in detail about any illnesses you have, any allergies you have, and any drug or alcohol use you have. Don't hide anything.
• Ask your questions: Discuss any fears or doubts you have about this (Anesthesia Awareness) with the anesthesiologist.
• If you have had this experience before, be sure to say: This is the most important thing. Then the medical team can pay special attention to it.

What should I do if I think something like this has happened to me?

If you think you remember something during or after surgery, tell your doctor or nurse right away . Tell them everything you remember. They can then record it in your medical record. This will be very important for your safety if you have another surgery in the future.

There's no shame in talking about an experience like this. It's essential for your health.