Buzz
Those who awaken mid-surgery often endure severe psychological distress. Many report vividly sensing every incision and suture made by the surgeon. Tragically, they are unable to communicate their suffering due to the muscle relaxants administered beforehand, which render them immobile.
10. Carol Weihrer
Carol Weihrer endured years of relentless pain caused by a damaged cornea. Despite undergoing 17 unsuccessful surgeries to repair it, her doctor ultimately concluded that her eye could not be saved and needed removal. Weihrer felt a sense of relief, believing her suffering would finally end.
Carol arranged for the surgery, which began without issues. After being administered anesthesia, she drifted into unconsciousness. She awoke with hope, thinking her ordeal was over, only to hear a voice instruct, “Cut deeper. Pull harder.”
Weihrer was overwhelmed with fear. Unable to speak or move, she attempted to scream, but no sound emerged. The muscle relaxants had left her completely paralyzed. She could only listen as the surgeons discussed the procedure while removing her eye. She heard the surgeon instruct the intern, “Don’t hesitate to apply full force. You really need to pull!” She felt an intense tugging sensation before everything faded to black.
The ordeal left a lasting impact on Weihrer. Although she experienced no physical pain during the operation, the sense of helplessness was excruciating. She avoided lying down to sleep as it triggered distressing memories, and she was plagued by frequent nightmares. Carol sought help from a psychologist, who diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder.
9. Donna Penner
Donna Penner required abdominal surgery and was administered anesthesia. She awoke to find nurses cleaning her stomach, believing the procedure was complete. However, her relief turned to horror when she heard the surgeon request a scalpel.
Penner endured the entire surgery consciously: she felt the incision, the movement of medical tools through her abdomen, and the shifting of her organs. The experience was so harrowing that she feared she might not survive.
She attempted to alert the doctors, but even the smallest movement required immense effort. Penner succeeded in twitching her foot three times. Each time, someone touched her foot to stop the movement, but no one recognized it as a signal.
Penner endured excruciating pain throughout the 90-minute surgery. Beyond the physical agony, she nearly suffocated due to the breathing machine, which provided only seven breaths per minute—far too few. Her lungs felt like they were burning.
After the surgery, Penner regained minimal movement. The doctors noticed and removed the breathing tube, but she couldn’t breathe independently. She nearly choked, forcing them to use a manual resuscitator to pump air into her lungs.
The anesthesiologist administered a drug to reverse the paralytic effects. When Penner confronted him, he casually remarked, “It happens sometimes,” before walking away. She received no support or assistance to cope with the trauma.
Penner struggled to rebuild her life, but the emotional toll was overwhelming. She lost her job, and her relationships suffered. Subsequent surgeries triggered traumatic memories and intense anxiety. Seeking help, she was diagnosed with PTSD by a therapist.
8. Sidney L. Williams
Sidney L. Williams required open heart surgery, with the surgeon cautioning him about a 50-percent mortality risk. After being administered anesthesia, he fell asleep, only to awaken to the sound of a bow saw cutting through his sternum.
Williams attempted to alert the doctors of his consciousness, but he was unable to speak, move, or see. Even crying was impossible, as the drugs inhibited tear production.
He overheard the doctors discussing his heart’s condition. Moments later, he experienced searing pain as his heart, which had stopped, was shocked back to life. Williams described it as the most excruciating pain he had ever endured, likening it to being buried alive.
Thankfully, Williams survived the surgery. However, the ordeal left him plagued by horrific nightmares, leading him to grind his teeth so intensely that several cracked.
7. Jeannie Smith
Jeannie Smith required surgery to remove both ovaries after a cyst was discovered on one. After receiving anesthesia, she was taken into the operating room. She awoke during the procedure, blinded by a bright light. Paralyzed and unable to speak due to the medication, she had no way to signal the doctors that she was conscious.
Smith endured every moment of the 45-minute surgery, feeling every incision and suture. By the end, she was relieved she only had two ovaries, describing the pain as akin to a bomb detonating inside her.
Smith later discovered the anesthesia had depleted during the surgery, and the anesthesiologist failed to notice. She filed a lawsuit against the anesthesiologist and was awarded $150,000 in compensation for her ordeal.
6. Caroline Coote
Caroline Coote underwent surgery to remove her gallbladder. She was administered anesthesia, but the anesthetic delivery line developed a leak. The drugs quickly wore off, causing her to wake up shortly after the procedure began.
The muscle relaxants were effective, leaving Coote completely immobile. She was forced to endure the pain of the surgery without any means of communication. Desperate to alert the surgeons, she tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Coote managed to shed a few tears, but they went unnoticed. Eventually, the anesthesiologist detected a slight movement of her head and noticed her blood pressure had spiked. Investigating further, he discovered the leaking anesthetic line and repaired it, allowing Coote to fall back asleep.
After the surgery, Coote awoke in a state of hysteria, agitation, fear, and anger. The memory of the pain haunted her, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.
5. Hector Alonso
Hector Alonso required cataract surgery on his right eye. After being administered anesthesia, he fell asleep but awoke during the procedure. He could see the surgeon working on his eye and pleaded with him to stop, informing him that he was conscious.
Instead of stopping, Alonso was restrained, and a doctor taped his mouth shut. During the struggle, one of Alonso’s teeth was dislodged, and he accidentally swallowed it. The surgeons proceeded with the operation, which ultimately failed, leaving Alonso completely blind in his right eye.
Alonso filed a lawsuit against the surgeon and the hospital, alleging mental anguish, suffering, and other damages. He described the experience as akin to torture.
4. Diana Todd
Diana Todd was anesthetized for a hysterectomy. She awoke to the sound of voices and attempted to listen, but instead felt the first incision. She endured repeated cuts, losing count after the fifth. Waves of unbearable pain overwhelmed her. Despite her efforts to scream, the anesthesia left her paralyzed and silent.
After the surgery, Todd confronted the surgical team. A nurse dismissed her experience, claiming it was all in her head, which made Todd question her sanity. She developed claustrophobia and could no longer sleep in the dark. The trauma led her to consider suicide, and even now, the memory causes her muscles to twitch involuntarily.
3. Sherman Sizemore
Sherman Sizemore had exploratory surgery to diagnose his abdominal pain. He was given paralytic drugs to prevent movement but no general anesthesia, leaving him fully conscious for the first 29 minutes of the procedure. He felt every moment of the surgery.
Sixteen minutes after the incision, the anesthesiologist realized his error and administered anesthesia along with an amnesia-inducing drug. However, he never disclosed the mistake to Sizemore or the other doctors.
Post-surgery, Sizemore awoke in distress, unsure if his memories of the operation were real. The experience profoundly changed him, causing insomnia and horrific nightmares. He became obsessed with the fear of being buried alive. Overwhelmed by stress, he took his own life less than a month after the surgery.
2. Alexandra Bythell
Alexandra Bythell’s anesthesia wore off shortly after her appendectomy began. She awoke in a state of panic, her eyes taped shut and breathing tubes in her throat. Struggling to breathe, she feared she was moments from death.
Paralyzed, Bythell overheard medical staff commenting on her size and weight while feeling them poke and prod her. She heard a call for more morphine before drifting back into unconsciousness.
When she inquired about the incident, the hospital initially dismissed her experience as a hallucination. Persistent questioning led them to admit that staff had failed to monitor the anesthetic machine’s levels.
The surgery left Bythell with lasting psychological scars. She experienced flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, and anxiety, ultimately being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
1. Ms. Y
Ms. Y required surgery for appendicitis and ovarian bleeding. After falling asleep, she awoke before the procedure concluded. She heard voices and felt an incision in her abdomen, followed by movement inside her. Unable to open her eyes, she overheard someone exclaim, “So much blood! Quickly take some pictures,” before losing consciousness.
Ms. Y filed a complaint with the hospital, but no formal response was provided. She escalated the matter, leading to an investigation. It was discovered that the anesthesia machine had failed during the surgery, a lapse unnoticed for 25 minutes until the surgeon observed her abdominal muscles moving. The anesthesiologist was then alerted and increased her dosage.
The anesthesiologist received a two-year suspension for failing to inspect the equipment prior to the operation.
