I am 1 day post op...I had my lap band friday 08/04/06. I was awake for the whole procedure. I couldn't talk, I felt like I was drowning on my own saliva. My left arm was strapped down with the IV. My right arm was strapped down too. I tried to grab the srubs of the doctor on my right side but was an inch too far away. My eyes were open. The anesthesiologist never bothered to look to see if I was awake. I heard and felt everything. I am having nightmares. This was a very traumatic experience. :omg:

I know one thing, IF/When I get my surgery date I am going to ask them to make sure I am under.

Of course, my greatest fear (or at least a very high ranking fear) is being under paralytic drugs, with inadequate analgesia. I guess the only thing I fear more is the surgery not working and remaining fat.

I think the OP's lack of details is troubling. I hope she returns with more information.

I do know someone who awakened in the middle of hip replacement surgery -- and she's a very calm, organized person who would never make something up. It happens.

I'm interested at the apparent skepticism that many of us are expressing. Is it that we think this couldn't happen? Or the lack of detail in the original post? Or that we think, if this happened, the person wouldn't be posting one day later? I find myself (on the eve of my own surgery!) wondering, too.

My opinion, could this really happen...yes...here in the U.S.....no!

Sounds like some assembly like surgery..how could he not know she was awake??? I know that a lot of people have gone to other countries to have surgery....but they just don't have the same requirements as we do here. On the flip side of that.....maybe she picked a doc who really doesn't have his license...sounds like someone out to do a lot of surgery...get his money in a hurry and go in hiding...its happened in the US before...there was a plastic surgeon in Cali, I think it was Maryland who had the General Surgeon....I am dying to know who did her surgery!!! Lack of detail to her surgery ...yeah I find that odd...lol her post was shorter than this one is!

Hmmmm.....can't wait to hear the "rest of the story"

This happen to my daughter when she had her second child by c-section. She was awake, but her anesthesiologist caught it and put her out. I awoke during a colonoscopy. It does happen. She did have nightmares for a while. It will pass with time, but you don't forget the horror. You should talk to a professional to help you through it. And there is always time later to talk to an attorney, but get help for yourself now.

This happen to my daughter when she had her second child by c-section. She was awake, but her anesthesiologist caught it and put her out. I awoke during a colonoscopy. It does happen. She did have nightmares for a while. It will pass with time, but you don't forget the horror. You should talk to a professional to help you through it. And there is always time later to talk to an attorney, but get help for yourself now.

I had two c-sections and was awake with both. And I didn't feel a thing. I was told I would be awake. I didn't even know they put you to sleep with a c-section. Mine was all about the epidural and local. I was wide awake with both and got to experience the whole thing, which I loved!

Most of the time, C-sections are done with epidural anesthesia. They only use general anesthesia when it's a crash emergency. You are expected to be awake with epidural, in fact, it's one of the advantages of epidural anesthesia in that you get to witness your baby's birth. So if the daughter was using epidural, being awake is not a problem. If she was using general, it is a problem!

I'm interested at the apparent skepticism that many of us are expressing. Is it that we think this couldn't happen? Or the lack of detail in the original post? Or that we think, if this happened, the person wouldn't be posting one day later? I find myself (on the eve of my own surgery!) wondering, too.

My skepticism comes from...A) This is her first post. :scared: She has provided NO details about herself or her banding other than this. C) She was just one day post op. D) If this happened to me....I don't think I would be in any shape to post anything on any board.

I have to admit, the post really freaked me out since I have a huge fear of anesthesia.

But....IF patients do wake up, wouldn't there be physical signs of that. I would assume that they would become distressed from the pain, etc., and blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing would change.

I certainly hope this is a joke, not that we want that kind of joking here. But, I hope this didn't happen if she is in fact a real lapbander and not a troll looking for trouble. Come back please, and tell us the rest of your story.

Most of the time, C-sections are done with epidural anesthesia. They only use general anesthesia when it's a crash emergency. You are expected to be awake with epidural, in fact, it's one of the advantages of epidural anesthesia in that you get to witness your baby's birth. So if the daughter was using epidural, being awake is not a problem. If she was using general, it is a problem!

That isn't true about being put out only for a crash emergency..When I had my son, I was put completely out..both daughers I was awake..so it went..daughter..son..daughter. Two days after having my son, I went home. It is so much easier healing and feeling like yourself after being knocked out for a C!!! There was no emergency in my case, I just asked to be out and they said fine, its perfectly safe. I chose to be awake for my third because they gave me "amnesiatic" drugs for the first one so even though i was awake I don't remember anything, with the last one I wanted to be sure I didn't miss a thing. But again, general was way better than epidural ...even the doc said it after seeing me running up and down the hall...lol. And if you go into a stressful situation (ex. heart problems), being totally out is safer for the mom to keep her out of any real trouble during surgery.

Fakey von Fakerson. Why would you come on here and post that and NOT mention the surgeon?

Can anyone say "Bullsh*t"?

Anesthesiologists monitor your blood pressure and heart rate during surgery to be sure this kind of thing doesn't happen. They know when you're too close to awareness because you are being monitored. If you start to awaken, your heart rate increases, your blood pressure rises and your anesthesiologist increases your meds until you are completely under. Another cause for suspicion: Usually during surgery, the patient's eyes are taped closed to protect them from drying out and causing corneal damage.

This story, it's single posting author, and lack of information smells completely fishy. Like the alley behind a sushi restaurant in August.

BTW, not being snarky here but, why on earth would you think this kind of thing can happen, but NOT in the U.S.? Like negligence or errors NEVER happen in the land of Uncle Sam.

Medical mistakes can happen anywhere. But I believe this first time poster is full of baloney. It is mean spirited to come on here and scare people. Yes, there have been documented instances of people waking up during surgery. But these are few and far between. I have a sneaking suspicion this person has a big problem. Possibly trying to make fun of the surgery and the obese. My suggestion would be that the moderators write to this person privately to decide on validity and to stop this thread. Someone out there could decide against life saving surgery because they took this individual seriously. To debate if the person is real or not just keeps bumping the thread. (obviously I know I am doing that now but it seemed to be open to continuing).

Just because you read it doesn't mean it is true.

Donna I can say it Bulllllllllllsssssshhhhhhhhhhhh.................

It's hard to believe when this is their very first post and don't give any details of where it was done, who the surgeon was, how long they had been on lbt and so on.

Can anyone say "Bullsh*t"?

Anesthesiologists monitor your blood pressure and heart rate during surgery to be sure this kind of thing doesn't happen. Usually during surgery, the patient's eyes are taped closed to protect them from drying out and causing corneal damage.

I tend to agree with you - also it would not be possible to grab a Drs coat, the hand would also be paralized.

While anything can happen anywhere the lack of information troubles me.If it was me nothing would stop me from saying who did it.

Posting the next day is entirely possible, once the surgery is over there would be no more physical pain than the rest of us have, it would be mental trauma and someone might want to scream out their anguish.

If this a made up attempt at humor or to scare anyone facing surgery it is unconscionable.

There is a small small possibility of awakening during surgery but rest assure most general anesthesia goes on without a hitch and gsp princess story doesn’t match up with the way general anesthesia is preformed. General Anesthesia takes three parts: unconsciousness, the inability to move, and the inability to feel pain. So in princess story the anesthesia failed in all three parts. That is highly unlikely. In most cases when a person “wakes up” they only regain consciousness they are unable to move and they are unable to feel. She said that she tried to touch the surgeons scrubs well if she could move the surgeons would notice a difference in the her muscles both in the abdomen and in the body as a whole, the muscles would go from completely relaxed to tense and they would immediately stop the surgery and check the anesthesia levels. Princess seems to be using a scare tatic and given the fact that she has not come back online and posted makes her even more suspect.