Woke up during surgery, fun times!

[Izor]

Soooo, today was pretty miserable for me. I was going in for a patellar tendon graft to reconstruct my ACL and having some work done on my meniscus that I injured back in September. Started out pretty routine, and I was sitting around talking to the techs about various anesthetics that I could take, and I went with the tech's suggestion of having a femoral nerve block and getting knocked out in the OR. When I got taken away to have the nerve block applied it was going well, until my other leg started twitching, I heard ringing in my ears, and started having a shortness of breath. I dont know what happened after that but I woke up back in the waiting room and both my legs were numb. Strike one. A few hours later I was dragged away to the operating room and hooked up to sensors and it really didnt take long for them to put me under. Skip a couple hours that really went by in about a second it felt, I woke up and saw the same lights of the operating room and felt something going into my knee. The pain that followed is beaten probably only by pain similar to my uncle's who is dying rapidly of cancer right now (Guess that nerve block really wasnt that effective). 9/10 if I had to rate it, certainly worse than anything I have personally ever felt. Fortunately for me I woke up at the tail end of the procedure, and soon after my initial shock of feeling someone cutting me up I was being stitched up and dragged to the recovery room. A few doses of morphine and 2 percocets later the pain really wasnt going down that much, but at least was tolerable.

After all is said and done, although it was bad things probably could have gone a lot worse, especially if the surgeon hit a blood vessel or something. I'm not a doctor so I dont know if this was a human error or just bad luck for me, but I dont think I would never wish for anyone to have to go through that for sure. Anyone else have horror stories? I know wisdom teeth can go pretty bad sometimes, especially for inbred individuals like ignite.

[Epinephrine]

Yikes that sucks. Looks like you had a vasovagal episode (fainting episode) after getting the block, probably from pain of needle, it happens. But it does look like the block wasn't that good, and they totally skimped out on the anesthetic on you.

Sucks when you have techs do it, I hear in the US that's pretty common, that you don't get actual anesthesiologists but technologists.

[Pandagirl!]

I know wisdom teeth can go pretty bad sometimes

Don't scare me; I'm getting mine out in a month

[Izor]

the needle didnt actually hurt me, i remember that much....I'm not afraid of needles

[PaulOakenfold]

Yikes that sucks. Looks like you had a vasovagal episode (fainting episode) after getting the block, probably from pain of needle, it happens. But it does look like the block wasn't that good, and they totally skimped out on the anesthetic on you.

Sucks when you have techs do it, I hear in the US that's pretty common, that you don't get actual anesthesiologists but technologists.

What's the name of that disorder (or whatever you want to call it) when someone wakes up and is conscious during surgery from anesthesia, but is completely paralyzed? Causes immense PTSD from what I hear.

The latter is correct. I don't know what the problem with the specific profession is in the United States, but if the surgery is under a certain time, even if it's serious, you'll often just get an Anesthetist.

[Epinephrine]

What's the name of that disorder (or whatever you want to call it) when someone wakes up and is conscious during surgery from anesthesia, but is completely paralyzed? Causes immense PTSD from what I hear.

The latter is correct. I don't know what the problem with the specific profession is in the United States, but if the surgery is under a certain time, even if it's serious, you'll often just get an Anesthetist.

I don't think there's a disorder exactly. It just happens from time to time. Usually all that happens is the anesthesiologist just tops you up with some more meds if you start to stir a bit and you are none the wiser (as they will usually add a bit of midazolam which makes you forget). It's pretty common. It's far less common to actually be awake and remember stuff.

I figure that anesthetist technicians are used a lot in the US because well... it's cheaper. To have a real anesthesiologist there would cost a lot of money, so they make do with techs.

[Xog]

i didn't think this was common enough for me to actually hear an experience by someone. I've heard of this from the discovery channel or something many years ago, they said it's extremely rare like less than 1% for this to happen.


Damn man, that must've been crazy for you. To actually be aware of what's going on, but not able to even move an eyelid, let alone say "help". Is it sort of like those dreams we sometimes have, where you wake up but you can't move and can barely open ur eyes? and u try and scream for help as much as you can? those are so freakin terrifying.

edit: i believe the name is called Sleep paralysis?

[PaulOakenfold]

I really thought it had a name, I remember seeing it somewhere, but here is what I found trying to look it up:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Awake-And-...gery&id=182472

[Izor]

Well to clarify I think you guys are under the impression that I was having a major surgery and was under general anesthesia and woke up in the middle of it to immense pain. This is not the case. The surgery I was having was a major surgery, but I wasnt under general anesthesia for it. They gave me something just to knock me out while they went to work, and a nerve block so that I wouldnt feel any pain. Whether the nerve block wore off and the pain woke me up from that sleep or whatever put me to sleep wasnt enough for the whole procedure, I dont know. Like I said I'm not a doctor. Yes they messed up but my surgeon was good so after the pain and suffering I have a reconstructed ACL which is what I wanted.

EDIT: I wasnt powerless to say anything, Xog. In fact, I let them know how bad it hurt with some rather colorful language and yelling. I could move everything except the leg that was blocked, but for some reason I could feel it very well. I even tried to sit up before they told me it wasnt a good idea.

[Epinephrine]

If they knock you out, it's a general anesthesia. I'm not sure why they would give you something to make you sleepy without giving you some breathing support, sounds dangerous because if they put too much meds you could easily stop breathing. With any sort of breathing apparatus down your throat, you can't talk. Unless you were just grunting loudly with the mask on.

Either way looks like the pain control was woefully inadequate. I was helping out with ACL repairs for the last 2 weeks, and they gave either a full general anesthesia plus nerve block, or nerve block plus spinal block with patient awake. That way they hit your pain in two different ways to ensure it was as pain free as possible.

[Jeenyuss]

izor is this also your facebook status

[Izor]

izor is this also your facebook status

huh?

And they said they didnt need to give me anything to help me breathe because I would be breathing under my own power.

[Displaced]

when my ACL was done they knocked me out cold, I was groggy for hours after that shit.

seems sorta odd though that you'd be let home on the same day after an ACL tendon graft, I was held overnight for observation as have others that have had their ACL repaired.

[FarScape]

my entrapped wisdom tooth got removed. the second surgery I had, the doctor didn't wait long after the anesthetizing injection, so I was afraid I would feel the cutting. I didn't, but I did feel pain when he pull it out. I was kinda shocked, because the first surgery was more problematic and I didn't feel a thing (tho the tooth was so deep that it was stuck into my sinus, and I had a burst of blood out of my nose sometimes).

The doctor also left the room quiet fast after he did it ( took 10 minutes, was pretty fast) and I was left there with the nurse. They didn't give me anti biotic (it isn't must tho) so the area got some infection, and it was pretty shit feeling, but it all was good after two weeks.

Well, the sad thing is, I got another 2 wisdom tooth that are trapped ;\
One is also in the sinus, so Ill have to go through it again =[

P.S
I wrote a letter to the hospital about that doctor, but i doubt they did anything about it.

[Izor]

Why would they hold you overnight? I had my boss and friend to take care of me, not that I needed it...I hopped up the steps pretty easily and was getting around fine on crutches. It's pretty relaxing to be in my room instead of in a hospital bed