I am going to need general anesthesia for a surgery, and am unfortunately aware of the fact that a significant percentage of people experience pain and conscious paralysis under it. What do I do?

Do a vibe check with the anaesthesiologist. Good ones that are aware of this and care about person-to-person variation in response to anesthesia will be chill and explain how they will closely monitor the situation via your vitals and behavior. Good ones will ask about your consumption of alcohol and think very carefully about whether you are lying. Not saying you would lie but if there is any chance don't. Be very forthcoming and accurate about alcohol consumption because it makes you more resistant to most kinds of general anaesthetic and is linked to those negative experiences you mention. They might ask you about whether you have redheads in your family, which is also a good sign.

Basically... you want someone that is on top of their game when it comes to individualized dosing and who seems likely to be paying attention during your procedure. Red flags are anaesthesiologisrs who seem defensive or who give false information (e.g. if they say alcohol consumption doesn't matter). You can also check reviews. Another thing to consider is that every single example I have of an anaesthesiologist that didn't pay attention during a procedure and let someone wake up or nearly wake up has been an old white guy. Anecdotal but food for thought...

So, based on your sources, the first one states "'connected consciousness’ occurs when people under general anaesthetic are able to respond to outside stimuli such as pain but may not be able to recall the event afterwards." This occurred with 1 out of 10 patients in their study. But responding to the environment is much different than consciousness under anesthesia.

The second source was pay walled, but in the third from the BBC, it states "the unfortunate result is that a small proportion of people may lie awake for part or all of their surgery without any ability to signal their distress." It's important to remember it's only a "small proportion" of folks!

I've unfortunately had more than 10 surgical procedures and I'm also a major odd ball when it comes to treatments for my autoimmune disorders. But I've never once had any issues with anethesia, aside from specific drugs making me irritable when coming too. You'll almost certainly be fine. I found this research paper that's super specific to your question: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2743249/

It covers how somewhere between 0.05% and 0.1% of patients undergoing anesthesia are aware of the operation during the procedure. While this is a truly minor proportion, it isn't 0%, and this is one reason why surgery is a last resort. Regardless, the numbers are on your side and do your best not to manifest this into taking place during your operation!

I have participated in this kinda operations at a low level. Once a week or so. I have never had a patient remember anything after anesthesia. There were a coupple that seemed to respond to pain. Their sedation was increased then it went a way. They awoke reporting no unusual distress. This is scary, every operation is. However this is far less common than any other the more likely complications. Those are particularly unlikely as well. None of these are not really worth worrying over. Thr car ride to the doctor is far more dangerous.

Comrade, others have had good responses already so I won't try to give you facts/arguments, I don't know that much about the subject anyway. But I'll tell you about my experiences because they were all good, and hopefully positive thoughts will put your mind at ease.

I was in a very bad accident once where I was knocked unconscious in a brutal manner (think traumatic brain injury). And let me tell you, it is one of nature's great mercies that we are programmed such that I can't remember that accident at all. Not one bit. Not like going to sleep, just complete, utter blackness with nothing in the void. Perfect unconsciousness. I've also been anesthetized a few times and that's how I'd describe every one of those experiences: perfect unconsciousness with absolutely nothing registering at all. It isn't like sleep, it is something blessedly less active. I know it sounds weird to say but I'm very pro-anesthesia. We can't deny that things can go wrong, but this is one of those things like plane crashes - we fixate on what goes wrong (I say this as a nervous flier). Many more things go right. Hang in there!

I had something like this happen in one of the surgeries that I’ve had. I had consciousness and sensation but couldn’t move or open my eyes. Luckily it was before they had made an incision, and I began to feel very panicked. I could hear the operating team talking and feel them preparing the area by wiping down my skin. It was a very ‘locked inside’ feeling.

Then I heard one of them (the anesthesiologist I believe) mention that my heart rate was going up. They mentioned something about administering more of something, and I went out completely. So it was handled well by that medical team, and I just had a close call. Just know that you can use your emotional response to signal the need for more anesthetic.

I've had anaesthesia. Everything was totally fine. All I can say really.

Its like 1 in a thousand if that helps assuage your worries

Don't get your scientific information from news websites.

you might communicate to your surgeon that you'd like to discuss this with your anesthesiologist, and come to an agreement that they make doubly sure that you don't respond to commands before they administer the drug that paralyzes you, to reduce the chance that this happens. unfortunately, there's no good way to know whether you have any complications with anaesthetic until you've gone under.

I had it when I had my wisdom teeth removed. Wasn't aware of shit but it took me an extra long time to wake up after I guess. I'm getting a vasectomy in a month or so and it's gonna be local anesthesia so I'll be fully conscious. I'm way scared about it lol.

they layer some pretty potent opioids underneath the anesthesia. i had general for wisdom tooth extraction.

at the time i had a drug tolerance

i was very nervous about this happening. so i'll explain my experience.

they started with an IV line which had an opioid (likely fentanyl) and propranolol in it. i felt a strong rush like injected opioids and then bam was instantly out. at some point during the procedure i started to wake up, as i remember my eyes fluttering and seeing everything around me but felt very little physically. the opioid was so potent i felt absolutely no pain but did feel pressure. i remember hearing "100 mg (?) ketamine something something". they used ketamine to place me back into a deeper anesthesia. after that the experience of having my teeth removed was like playing legend of zelda and each tooth was a treasure chest.

i woke up still in a K hole. very numb. so there was no pain at all during the experience it was just very weird. they do monitor all your vitals and have a huge cocktail of different drugs they can use

only other time i just had twilight anesthesia which was more fun then knock out. best high i ever had because i felt so safe with so many professionals and was taken so close to the edge of unsafe

Not gonna tell you what to do and I don't want to scare you out of doing it but the only time I had general anesthesia for oral surgery that is basically what happened to me

I woke up during the surgery but couldn't move anything other than my eyes and I couldn't hear anything either, plus I was in pretty severe pain

I'm not sure how many minutes it took but eventually one of the doctors saw my eyes moving in my attempt to use them to scream and while I still couldn't hear I definitely read his lips saying "oh shit" before giving me more anesthesia and putting me back under

I woke up during 2 oral surgeries while under general anesthesia. It was towards the end with both and I felt them pulling the thread as they put the stitches in my gums but didn't feel the pinch of the needle entering

it blocks the memory tho right? that's all that matters believe me, one of my best friends was responsive while under. poor guy also has sleep paralysis, exploding head syndrome and stuff. we dormed in uni with a couple guys and i was noturnal... i remember playing hearts of iron at like 3am and he just bolts upright and yells a syllable and I turned and stared right at him and he was obviously asleep and going thru something

as long as the surgery is good

I've had an unfortunate number of surgeries and a fairly high drug tolerance, the only problem I've had is it takes like an extra twenty seconds to knock me out.

Talk to your surgeon. They're probably more competent than you're giving them credit for. Good luck.

I've woken up twice under anesthesia. When I wake up, I'm sort of frantic and they just zap me with more drugs and I pass back out. I honestly don't think it's a big deal and sort of cool I remember a little bit of the process. I'm not like in pain or anything, just awake.

you can do it, champ

Why you wake up in Surgery

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