Woman wakes up during surgery

AK370Z · 11-19-2008, 12:35 AM

A Northern Territory woman has endured a nightmare operation at Alice Springs Hospital after she became conscious during stomach surgery but remained paralysed by the anaesthetic.

Quote:

Rebecca Jones, 24, told the Northern Territory News she could feel every cut of the surgeon's knife during the operation last month but was unable to scream for help as the anaesthesia had paralysed her.

Ms Jones, who was being operated on for gallstones, said she could not open her eyes but could hear and feel everything.

"I thought the doctors had woken me up because the surgery was over — I quickly realised that was not the case," she was quoted by the Northern Territory News as saying.

Ms Jones realised her predicament when she took a breath and found she couldn’t move, but eventually moved her hand to get the attention of surgery staff — to no avail.

"(Someone) said, 'she's just moved her hand' but they kept going," she said.

The hospital's general manager Vicki Taylor admitted to the NT News that Ms Jones had been awake during the operation but denied medical staff knew of her pain.

Ms Jones is now considering legal action against the hospital.

Source: Woman wakes up during surgery

Dav · 11-19-2008, 02:07 AM

My God...
I heard about a similar case not so much time ago.
And, does the new film with Haiden Christensen speak about this kind of surgery mistakes?

AK370Z · 11-19-2008, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dav

My God...
I heard about a similar case not so much time ago.
And, does the new film with Haiden Christensen speak about this kind of surgery mistakes?

Link to the film?

CrownR426 · 11-19-2008, 03:30 AM

Damn that's crazy...
Happened to my friend when he got circumsized in 5th grade.
He pee'd blood back then in elementary school, jeez nasty lol...

Dav · 11-19-2008, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AK370Z

Link to the film?

Can't find anything..

I don't remember the title, I only remember I've seen some images on TV which reminded me a short story from Stephen King about a man who wakes up during surgery..

AK370Z · 11-19-2008, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dav

Can't find anything..

I don't remember the title, I only remember I've seen some images on TV which reminded me a short story from Stephen King about a man who wakes up during surgery..

It's one of the most horrible thing can happen during a sergery.

alefcole · 11-19-2008, 01:37 PM

This is unfortunately very common. IT HAPPENED TO ME!!!!!!!!!!, I was in the middle of the procedure and I suddenly WOKE UP, I was very afraid to realize I still had to finish the operation.

Nissan370z · 11-19-2008, 11:13 PM

It happens. My grandmother woke up while being operated on, during the surgery. I asked what she said and she was like "can you please give me more anesthesia." LoL, seriously though, that's what she told me.

Luv'n my Z · 11-03-2009, 06:53 PM

That would really suck to be stuck like that. At least she couldent see it

Matt · 11-03-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AK370Z

Link to the film?

Awake (2007)

Pretty decent flick, tbh. Pretty good twists.

Snakes709 · 11-03-2009, 08:30 PM

Hmm, I know a rebecca jones that is 24 years old, havent talked to her in awhile...wonder if its the same girl

spearfish25 · 11-03-2009, 08:35 PM

As a surgeon, I'd like to make a few points before everyone starts to freak out about this phenomenon called 'anesthesia awareness'. First, it happens in about 1 out of 40,000 cases. That's a small number but even that is too much. Further, given the volume of surgeries in our country, you're bound to hear about these cases at some point in time. Second, the type of anesthesia determines whether this phenomenon has even occurred. A patient undergoing a procedure under local anesthesia is completely awake. They are supposed to tell the surgeon they're uncomfortable so more local anesthetic can be injected. Another form of anesthesia is MAC or monitored anesthesia care. Under MAC, patients are heavily sedated but not 'asleep'. They are responsive, breath on their own, and are not under general anesthesia. These patients will frequently move during surgery if the anesthesia gets too 'light' and may be able to hold conversations or follow commands depending on the depth of the MAC. Again, this is not anesthesia awareness. Depending on the anesthetic used, a short term amnesia is also common...most patients won't remember what happened to them in the OR, even if they 'woke up'.

The final type of anesthesia is general anesthesia where a patient is supposed to be completely asleep and requires a ventilator due to the depth of the anesthetic. In some specific cases, a paralytic is also given to prevent muscle twitches or bowel contraction (peristalsis) during the surgery. As the numbers show, it's extremely uncommon for an anesthesiologist to give enough paralytic to completely paralyze a patient but also fail to give enough sedative to keep the patient unconscious. Despite paralytics, pain and stress responses should be readily noticed by an anesthesiologist through changes in the patient's vitals. Pain causes hypertension and tachycardia...blood pressure skyrockets and the heart beats quickly. These are indicators that anesthesiologists often use to note a patient is uncomfortable.

Given these odds for anesthesia awareness, let me fill you in on a secret. You should worry much more about the quality of your surgeon or anesthesiologist than having this phenomenon occur for you. I wouldn't be surprised that the patients who have experienced this have actually had pretty crumby anesthesiologists managing their care.

Togo · 11-03-2009, 08:51 PM

Man I would hate for that to happen to me! That has to be an absolutely awful experience.

sloterg · 11-04-2009, 06:12 PM

thanks for the information spearfish.. its always good to hear an educated response rather than a " i heard from a my friend's sister's uncle's fish's sister in law's cousin...."

kdo2milger · 11-04-2009, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakes709

Hmm, I know a rebecca jones that is 24 years old, havent talked to her in awhile...wonder if its the same girl

call her!

ask if it was her...

tell her to call hollywood!

sounds like a movie deal! $$$

11-19-2008, 03:30 AM	#4 (permalink)
CrownR426 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: South Korea Posts: 4,676 Drives: Manual Rep Power: 848	Damn that's crazy... Happened to my friend when he got circumsized in 5th grade. He pee'd blood back then in elementary school, jeez nasty lol... __________________ Love + Hardwork + Passion RIP SVTRacer

11-19-2008, 11:13 PM	#8 (permalink)
Nissan370z Base Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bay Area-CA Posts: 101 Drives: 350z to be sold =( Rep Power: 272	It happens. My grandmother woke up while being operated on, during the surgery. I asked what she said and she was like "can you please give me more anesthesia." LoL, seriously though, that's what she told me. __________________ Enjoying life to the fullest

11-03-2009, 06:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
Luv'n my Z Base Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Rancho Santa fe Posts: 190 Drives: Your mom Rep Power: 16	That would really suck to be stuck like that. At least she couldent see it __________________ ~Luv'n my Z_________________________________________ 75 degrees farenhieght new years day not a cloud in the sky only in southern Cali

11-03-2009, 08:35 PM	#12 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1856	As a surgeon, I'd like to make a few points before everyone starts to freak out about this phenomenon called 'anesthesia awareness'. First, it happens in about 1 out of 40,000 cases. That's a small number but even that is too much. Further, given the volume of surgeries in our country, you're bound to hear about these cases at some point in time. Second, the type of anesthesia determines whether this phenomenon has even occurred. A patient undergoing a procedure under local anesthesia is completely awake. They are supposed to tell the surgeon they're uncomfortable so more local anesthetic can be injected. Another form of anesthesia is MAC or monitored anesthesia care. Under MAC, patients are heavily sedated but not 'asleep'. They are responsive, breath on their own, and are not under general anesthesia. These patients will frequently move during surgery if the anesthesia gets too 'light' and may be able to hold conversations or follow commands depending on the depth of the MAC. Again, this is not anesthesia awareness. Depending on the anesthetic used, a short term amnesia is also common...most patients won't remember what happened to them in the OR, even if they 'woke up'. The final type of anesthesia is general anesthesia where a patient is supposed to be completely asleep and requires a ventilator due to the depth of the anesthetic. In some specific cases, a paralytic is also given to prevent muscle twitches or bowel contraction (peristalsis) during the surgery. As the numbers show, it's extremely uncommon for an anesthesiologist to give enough paralytic to completely paralyze a patient but also fail to give enough sedative to keep the patient unconscious. Despite paralytics, pain and stress responses should be readily noticed by an anesthesiologist through changes in the patient's vitals. Pain causes hypertension and tachycardia...blood pressure skyrockets and the heart beats quickly. These are indicators that anesthesiologists often use to note a patient is uncomfortable. Given these odds for anesthesia awareness, let me fill you in on a secret. You should worry much more about the quality of your surgeon or anesthesiologist than having this phenomenon occur for you. I wouldn't be surprised that the patients who have experienced this have actually had pretty crumby anesthesiologists managing their care. __________________ 2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z Last edited by spearfish25; 11-03-2009 at 08:37 PM.

11-03-2009, 08:51 PM	#13 (permalink)
Togo A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: E. Northport, NY Posts: 7,597 Drives: Stuff Rep Power: 657	Man I would hate for that to happen to me! That has to be an absolutely awful experience. __________________ This will decimate all after you put about fifteen grand in it or more, and if we have to, overnight parts from Japan. Joe Clem and Koeppel Nissan

11-19-2008, 02:07 AM	#2 (permalink)
Dav Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: N Italy, lake Maggiore Posts: 399 Drives: black Lev2 370Z Rep Power: 17	My God... I heard about a similar case not so much time ago. And, does the new film with Haiden Christensen speak about this kind of surgery mistakes?

11-19-2008, 01:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
alefcole Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SJ Posts: 709 Drives: 2011 Black ZCP E92M3 Rep Power: 18	This is unfortunately very common. IT HAPPENED TO ME!!!!!!!!!!, I was in the middle of the procedure and I suddenly WOKE UP, I was very afraid to realize I still had to finish the operation.

11-03-2009, 08:30 PM	#11 (permalink)
Snakes709 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Edmonton Posts: 1,205 Drives: 2011 Evo-X GSR Rep Power: 18	Hmm, I know a rebecca jones that is 24 years old, havent talked to her in awhile...wonder if its the same girl