Over 300 patients a year 'wake up' during surgery

A study claims that there are at least 300 people a year in the UK and Ireland who wake up during surgery despite being given general anaesthetics.

18:16 10 September 2014

Researchers have published a new study suggesting that over 300 patients have been conscious during surgery despite being given a general anaesthetic. Researchers estimate that with this figure, the incident happens once in every 19,000 operations. They added that although it’s considered rare, everything should be done to prevent this from happening.

Led by the Royal College of Anaesthetists and Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, researchers studied three million operations over a period of one year.

Among those who participated on the survey, more than 300 said that they experienced some level of awareness during surgery. Most episodes were short-lived however 41% of the cases resulted in long term psychological harm.

Patients described a variety of experiences - from panic and pain to choking - though not all episodes caused concern.

One patient said: "I could hear voices around me and I realised with horror that I had woken up in the middle of the operation but couldn't move a muscle.

"While they fiddled, I frantically tried to decide whether I was about to die."

Prof Tim Cook, at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, who led the research, said: "For the vast majority it should be reassuring that patients report awareness so infrequently.

"However for a small number of patients this can be a highly distressing experience.

"I hope this report will ensure anaesthetists pay even greater attention to preventing episodes of awareness."