Are you awake during brain surgery?

Answer 1

ABSOLUTELY!!! I have actually done this myself and it's terrifying. There is a foundation that studies individuals that have had this experience. If you have do this, I recommend you notify your doctor in advance of any surgery or procedure so then can make sure you stay sedated. USA TODAY had an article that stated this happens to about 100 people EVERY DAY!

Answer 2

The type of anesthesia used during cataract surgery will depend upon your surgeon's preference. Following is what you would experience if you were a patient of mine:

After you arrived at the surgery center, an IV would be placed in your arm either in the pre-operative holding area or in the operating room. Once in the operating room, the anesthesiologist would give you something through the IV to relax you. One of the effects of this medication is temporary short-term amnesia. So, if you were having your second eye done, you might not remember all of these things being done when you had your first cataract surgery. This is a very common feeling.

A blood pressure cuff would be placed on one of your arms. Although annoying, it is necessary for monitoring this critical vital sign during surgery. Periodically this would inflate and give you a sense of pressure.

You would be in the operating room for about forty-five minutes to an hour. About half of this time is spent just preparing for the actual surgery. The operating room staff would clean the area around your eye and place a drape over your upper body. This is to protect the eye from bacteria (which could cause an infection).

During the actual surgery you would hear buzzing and bells. There might be a sense of pressure in the eye and you might feel some cool fluid on the side of your face. This is all normal. You should not feel pain during the surgery. If you did, the anesthesiologist could give you additional anesthetic.

A note about anesthesia for cataract surgery: Traditionally, an injection of numbing medication is given next to and behind the eye. This requires use of a needle which could potentially puncture the eye leading to a loss of vision. For this reason, I prefer to use a type of anesthetic called "topical" which does not require an injection. Topical anesthesia uses a liquid or gel applied to the surface of the eye prior to surgery. There are multiple benefits of this type of anesthesia - the main one is avoidance of the risks of using a needle next to the eye. You recall what your mother told you about sharp objects and the eye - the same motherly wisdom also applies in the operating room. A second benefit is that topical anesthesia allows you to enjoy your vision immediately after the surgery is over.

David Richardson, M.D.

Website: http://www.David-Richardson-MD.com/

Blog: http://www.about-eyes.com/

Cataract Book: http://www.Cataract-Book.com/

San Gabriel Office:

207 S. Santa Anita St., Suite P-25

San Gabriel, CA 91776

(626) 289-7856

Pasadena Office:

800 E. Colorado Blvd.

Suite 450

Pasadena, CA 91101

Answer 3

No your not awake during sedation most of the time. There are different degrees of sedation which will determine now much you feel or remember. Sedation is the process of putting some one to sleep temperately to a medical procedure or to calm a person down.

Answer 4

There are types of brain surgeries that do require a person to remain conscious. This can allow surgeons to judge if any complications are arising during surgery.

Answer 5

It would depend on the procedure being performed and in some cases personal preference. You would be most likely sedated for a very invasive procedure.

Answer 6

That would depend entirely on the scope of the procedure. For some they do, for others they don't.

Answer 7

Depending on the facilities available, you can have the option of having eye surgery under a local/regional anaesthetic or go to sleep by having a General Anaesthtic