Anaesthetic Awareness

Anaesthetic awareness is also known as “unintended intra-operative awareness” which occurs when a patient undergoing an operative procedure, has not received enough general anaesthetic or analgesic (that is painkiller) to prevent the patient waking up during surgery or being conscious during the procedure.  It can also occur on other occasions such as following the surgery or in the intensive care unit where patients are kept sedated.  The experience can be extremely traumatic if there is full consciousness or awareness during surgery and pain is felt.  In lesser cases patients may recall conversations, events, pain or difficulty in breathing but will only be vaguely aware of this. 

The incidents of anaesthetic awareness varies but is estimated to be less than 1%.  Clearly to avoid this, it is necessary for the doctors to ensure good clinical practice, the hospital must ensure well trained personnel, avoidance of paralytics unless necessary, careful checking of drugs doses and equipment, good monitoring and careful observations during the case. 

If you have undergone a general anaesthetic but recall the events whilst you were being operated upon or procedures being performed then it is possible that you have suffered and there may be a case against the hospital.

Call 0800 043 4035 now to speak to a specialist medical negligence solicitor about claiming compensation following anaesthetic awareness.