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Facts

The Facts About Anesthetic Awareness, Anesthesia, and Your Anesthesia Provider
Administering Anesthesia

Anesthesia is safer now than it has ever been. According to a 1999 Institute of Medicine report, anesthesia is 50 times safer now than it was in the late 1970s.
According to research, awareness occurs once in every 1,000 cases involving general anesthesia, but it is typically fleeting. The patient may recall sounds, conversation, OR activity, pressure, and possibly pain, but only momentarily or for a short duration until the anesthetics are adjusted and the patient is once again unconscious. Patients usually do not suffer residual emotional or psychological effects from the experience. It is not known how often awareness experiences attain the terrifying and life-changing level depicted in "Awake," but it is believed to be a rare occurrence—far, far less frequent than the 1 in 1,000 cases cited above.
Anesthetic awareness is most likely to occur in the following surgeries where general anesthesia is used: cardiac, trauma and emergency C-section.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are highly qualified, dedicated and safe anesthesia providers. CRNAs are advanced practice nurses who stay by your side, administer your anesthesia and continually monitor your vital signs throughout your entire surgery.
Common causes of anesthetic awareness are inadequate anesthesia and equipment failure or misuse.
Research into the causes and prevention of anesthetic awareness are ongoing and continuing to make progress.
Brain monitoring devices can be used to measure depth of consciousness, and studies have shown that these monitors can help anesthesia providers further reduce the risk of awareness, although they alone are not a guarantee of preventing awareness.
When speaking with the anesthesia provider before surgery, it is important for patients to be honest about medications (including herbal supplements, erectile dysfunction prescriptions, alcohol or illicit drug use) they are taking, physical conditions, previous awareness experiences or allergic reactions, and any other factors that could influence their body’s reaction to anesthesia.