Awake during surgery: rare, but frightening

MSNBC ^ | 05.18.04

[Coleus]

	Carol Weihrer talks to a group at the Trinity Methodist Church, in April in Virginia. Weihrer is speaking out about anesthesia awareness after her experience of feeling her surgery under general anethesia during an eye operation.
Linda Spillers / AP file

MCLEAN, Va. - The pain in Carol Weihrer’s eye was so severe she decided to have it surgically removed, believing it was the only way to get on with life.

Instead, the surgery was the beginning of an unending nightmare. Her anesthesia failed, leaving her awake but paralyzed for a five-hour surgery in which doctors cut and gouged to remove her right eye.

“You feel really grueling pulling on your eye, but you can’t move to relieve the pressure,” Weihrer said recently.

‘You’re sure you’ll die if you can’t let them know you’re awake...And then you think, ‘Maybe you did die ... and maybe you’re in hell’.’

— Carol Weihrer

[Coleus]

I read about the BIS about 5 yrs. ago in the health section of my local paper. I have yet to meet a doctor, nurse or hospital employee who knows about it.

Does your hospital and anesthesiologist use a Bispectral Index Monitor

[RandallFlagg]

I heard a fella talk about being wide awake while his heart was cut open and sliced and stabbed and he was unable to do anything whatsoever about it.

His name was Sam Kinison.

[Coleus]

I miss him.

[Gay State Conservative]

Paging John Edwards.....paging John Edwards.

[Michael Goldsberry]

... That poor woman...

Just Damn.

[RandallFlagg]

As do I. I KNOW what side of the protest lines Sam would be on.

"This is AMERICA! Reagan is President and Clint Eastwood has his own police force!"

[queenkathy]

I've been lucky enough to have not needed surgery. This is my biggest fear. I watched too many Twilight Zone shows as a kid.

[sarasmom]

Imagine how Terri Schiavo felt...

[Nateman]

I experience a similar pain in politics nearly every day. I know what's wrong, what needs to be done but I am essentially powerless to do anything about it.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the ping.

[Joann37]

My sister showed me an article a couple years ago that discussed people being aware during surgery. The premise at the time was that redheads actually didn't take well to the anesthesia, for some reason. And from the picture, it appears that Ms. Weihrer has red hair.

[Veto!]

I woke up in the middle of eye surgery too, but a flick of the finger was all it took to catch someone's attention, they upped my anaesthetic level and in no more than two seconds I was back under.

[Coleus]

you were lucky you were able to move, from what I understand a patient is usually given a paralyzing drug in most surgeries to, I think, stop muscle contractions and block nerve impulses so the muscles and other parts won't contract.

[Ole Okie]

I had a friend who was aware during bypass surgery. He had no way to tell the doctors that he was feeling the whole thing.

He wasn't Stan Kenison, but he was red headed.

[A knight without armor]

"I read about the BIS about 5 yrs. ago in the health section of my local paper. I have yet to meet a doctor, nurse or hospital employee who knows about it. "

Boy, that's scary. It could be this is such a horrific and frightening thing to patients doctors like to greatly play it down and to talk about technology for it is like admitting there is the need for it.

I have never heard the red hair theory about this awake during surgery (seems like there should be a word for it). That is very interesting.

[SunkenCiv]

"Is that your heart? Raaaaahah!"

"Open the door! I wouldn't lie to ya ten times in a row

---

."

"A group of gay necrophiliacs in the Los Angeles area..."

[SunkenCiv]

[Coleus]

that must have been scary.