One or two people out of 1,000 going into surgery can experience anesthesia awareness. It’s a brief moment when a person under anesthesia gains consciousness and can recall hearing conversations or feeling other sensations. Such experience is highly traumatic and often stays with people for the rest of their lives.

Folks under this popular thread were sharing stories exactly about them. For those who are curious, they can be found just a scroll away.

#1

I have woken up for one tooth extraction and two colonoscopies. Spoke to the anesthesiologist on all occasions when I was supposedly under. They topped up the dosage and I fell asleep again.

For context, I am a stealth redhead. The hair in my head is dark but when I was younger, my beard was red. I also have a redheaded kid, so I clearly carry the gene. Redheads are notoriously tough to anesthetize.

Image credits: VH5150OU812

#2

Had IV sedation for wisdom teeth. Woke up part way through. Dentist said “oh no, he’s awake”. I pointed at the IV bag and everyone laughed and someone said “he wants more”. They put me back under.

Image credits: 1048692057

#3

I kinda woke up during twilight sleep when I was having my wisdom teeth removed. The nurse was saying she needed to find a pink cat Halloween costume and I kept trying to tell her to check party city .

Image credits: anon

#4

Woke up mid-colonoscopy. Turned head to look at the screen. Said is that my colon? Doc said “Say night night.” Went back to sleep. Remembered it all.

Image credits: Ruby-Skylar

#5

They were talking about buying vintage lunchboxes on eBay. I wasn’t properly awake or in pain, but I could ‘feel’/had awareness that their hands were inside me. The anesthesiologist noticed my eyes were open, and I woke up again properly when they were wheeling me into recovery.

Image credits: Proverr91

#6

“oh hello…. you’re not supposed to be here…. let’s just….”….. fade to black.

Image credits: MsAsphyxia

#7

Barely woke up getting my wisdom teeth out. I could feel them like breaking up my teeth, they said I had very twisted long roots and it took a bit longer than expected.

Image credits: skipjackcrab

#8

Not me.

A pal of mine (we all work in healthcare) woke up during a kidney stone surgery..

And the doctor (who we worked with) was looking at the X-ray screen and says “where did that thing [stone] go?” And my buddy, an X-ray tech of 30 years… wakes up… looks at the screen above him… sticks his finger on it and says “it’s right there” the urologist said something like “wth??? Put him back out.”.

Image credits: Sure_Tree_5042

#9

My mom was having surgery last year and woke up in the middle of it. She couldn’t feel pain though she could feel being touched in the areas they were doing the surgery. She was in a simillar state people in “after the dentist” videos are. She told the surgeon she was a ninja and booped her nose and then mumbled incoherently until they were done.

Image credits: PckMan

#10

Woke up and said “that tickles”.

Doctor laughed and said she was almost done.

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#11

One of my coworker woke up during a hand surgery after hurting his hand on the job. According to him it didn’t hurt and he asked to see. The surgeon showed him and started explaining what they were doing and he was like ” Wow, that’s soooo cool!”. Then he fell back to sleep mid explaination because they gave him more anesthesia while he was distracted.

Image credits: BB-biboo

#12

I was awake for both of my hand surgeries in 2023, one time I was watching them quietly and the surgeon and assistants were talking about getting lunch after and they wanted tacos. I said have you ever tried (local taco place) and the assistant said, “holy cow I forgot you were awake”.
I guess they don’t operate on a lot of local anesthetic patients. We all got a good laugh.

Image credits: David_Golfs

#13

I was having cataract surgery (late 20’s, thanks mom and dad for the cool genes). Beforehand I let them know that I need a bit more pain meds than most people, they were like “aww you’ll be fine”.

I see this crazy bright red gross thing and it’s completely silent. Somehow I was able to get out “guys, I’m awake” (at least in my brain that’s what I said) and it was silent, I was trying so hard not to move my eye because, you know, scalpel near your eyeball/melting your lens is terrifying. I started start shaking my hand to get their attention and they finally said “we’ve got a mover”, and praise God, something about more meds.

Everything went well but I get in a panic thinking about that often.

Image credits: JTen87

#14

My dentist said, in a fairly relaxed tone, “You’re not supposed to be back yet.”

I tried to say “well do the thing, then”, but I wasn’t awake long enough, and there was metal instruments pokin’ around in my mouth. Was a weird feeling, but not scary in any way.

Image credits: Tylensus

#15

Woke up during a hernia operation. No pain but I could feel them doing stuff down there so asked for more anesthesia.

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#16

I woke up while they were putting my femur back into my leg. I didn’t see much but I remember feeling like I was being shaken. Surgery sometimes requires some violent movements I guess.

Also woke up during my wisdom teeth extraction. Someone was holding my head while the doctor was using their full weight to pull a tooth.

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#17

I heard some gossip about a date then I was out again. When I woke up at the end I was instantly wide awake. Then I was hungry and the food was so good!

I was getting a sebaceous cyst removed.

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#18

I have no memory of it. They told me afterwards and said I didn’t know I was being operated on and was talking to them.

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#19

Not woke up, but when my mom was having me via c-section she felt them cutting into her and she shouted out and reached for the knife (scalpel I guess?). My dad fainted. They then decided to put her fully under instead of just local anesthetic.

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#20

A fire alarm had gone off and they were evacuating. Luckily it was only a colonoscopy so they just ended the procedure and I woke up to them wheeling me out. Unfortunately I had no idea what was going on and thought I was gone because there were red flashing lights and bullhorn sirens. It was a stressful experience.

Image credits: Birdlord420

#21

Woke up getting my thyroid cut in half (and then half being taken out)

I remember opening my eyes, thinking to myself “what the hell?” and then the anesthesiologist probably noticed because I got knocked out again.

Image credits: AinoNaviovaat

#22

Woke up during my wisdom teeth procedure to my dentist hands and tools in my mouth. No feeling at all in my mouth just being able to see it. He notice I was a wake and gave me a wave followed by a thumbs up.

He told me a week after that the thumbs up was him telling the other doctor to jack up the anesthesia because he’s awake right now.

My mom and I still laugh about this.

Image credits: ABG12399

#23

I woke up during an endoscopy. I had the tube and everything down my throat but I didn’t know what was happening and the only thing I could focus on was how I couldn’t breathe. I clearly remember trying to talk to tell the doctors I couldn’t breathe, because I could hear people around me, but apparently I didn’t actually say anything.

The doctors noticed because my heart rate started going crazy and then I stopped breathing all together. They took out the tube, i started breathing again, and gave me more anesthesia. Once I was in recovery, I was told to always inform the anesthesiologist that I woke up during a procedure, so they can adjust accordingly. I’ve had two other procedures since then and have not woken up during them.

Image credits: anon

#24

Woke up during stomach surgery. Couldn’t move, speak or open my eyes to let them know I was awake. Could feel every thing they were doing inside of me, most excruciating pain of my life. Not sure if I blacked out from the pain or they noticed and increased my anesthesia but next thing I remember I came to in my hospital bed. Was told I came out of the anesthesia screaming after all was said and done. Petrified to ever have to have surgery again now.

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#25

I woke up during major emergency eye surgery (vitrectomy for a torn retina).

I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel them poking around in what felt like the middle of my brain. I remember thinking “this is the worst thing that has ever happened to me” in regard to waking up. I started twiddling my fingers and toes to distract me, and they noticed and asked if I was okay. I said “sorry but it hurts a bit…”, then I remember them asking where the anaesthetist was.

My thought after that was “aren’t they meant to be sitting here?!”. Anyway it was a blur after that, haha.

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#26

I had hair transplant surgery done in Argentina. The procedure took 7 hours. I woke up after 5 hours. I stayed awake the last 2 hours completely numb on my head as the two nurses kept planting the follicles all while singing. I had tv available to me. I was able to banter with the nurses a bit. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience!

Image credits: NuclearNachos

#27

I woke up when they were wrapping up, so the cutting was done. My muscles were still paralyzed and I had a breathing tube. I became aware of everything and the fact I couldn’t breathe (doing the motion). I started to panic which made my heartbeat rise. That’s when they noticed I was awake. They comforted me and gave me extra sleeping agent. 

Even though I didn’t experience the surgery or anything it was still fairly anxiety inducing. Hospital pretty much waved under the rug. Barely even acknowledged it.

Image credits: Eggggsterminate

#28

The surgeon said ‘oh hello’ and the anesthesiologist looked terrified I asked to see what they had removed as they were stitching me up at that time. They showed me – it was really neat to see honestly. Then I thanked them for helping me – and I was out again. Didn’t feel a thing and clearly remember it all. However, I did have Vasovagal after surgery and don’t remember that.

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#29

I was having sinus surgery. Woke up and watched the surgeon pounding away with a chisel. I remember watching everyone freak out when they saw I was awake. Then back to sleep I went. Didn’t feel any pain. I was legit interested. Haha. Doesn’t bother me one bit.

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#30

They had given me a paralytic along with the anesthesia (not enough anesthsia), so when I woke up too early still in the operating room as they confirmed the procedure was done correctly, I couldn’t communicate that I was awake and the breathing equipment wasn’t properly on or something. I thought I was going to suffocate. I kept trying to scream for help but nothing would come out. I could hear the nurses talking about their weekend plans.

Finally my puls ox monitor or something started beeping, it took them an eternity to realize it and adjust my breathing tubes. No idea how long it was, but I remember vividly how afraid it was and what I was seeing and how badly I wanted the suffocation to be over.

When the paralytic woke up I had a panic attack that lasted a few hours and they acted like they were so annoyed with me and gave me an IV of xanax and got me out of there as fast as I could.

I was a mess for about a month after I thought everything I was experiencing was dejavu. I’m an avid runner and couldn’t run without feeling like I was above my body. I guess classic trauma response. After a month I reset back to normal- and telling that story definitely helps too. And the silver lining is that I realized I really like being alive.

#31

It was my wisdom teeth. I remember that everything was yellow, and I felt like I was standing and looking straight up. My cheeks felt wet, and somewhere in the distance I heard someone screaming. Just nonstop screaming. It was annoying me. Eventually I just fell back asleep.

When I woke up in recovery, I described it to a nurse. That’s when they told me that the screaming was from me. I had no idea.

#32

I started to wake during back surgery, told the doctor afterwards that I had a dream someone was pulling on my spine with a pair of pliers. He just looked at me and said, “yeah you started to revive and we put you further under, it happened when I was pulling on your spine”.

#33

I did and it was excruciating pain. I had a laparoscopy (three small incisions in the belly area) to remove endometriosis growth. I woke up right when the surgery was done and they were moving me to another bed. I just came in and the pain was terrible. I screamed, a nursed screamed “SHE IS WAKING UP!!!” and then I feel asleep again. It lasted no more than 10 seconds, I feel.

#34

My wife did during surgery. I guress her skin tone was going pink, and they were talking about and she started to croak out a Pink song.

#35

Was having a rhinoplasty done to fix my janky crooked nose.

Woke up to the sound of classical music and a blood-soaked rag over my mouth, unable to breathe due to all the blood pooling in my throat and nose. I couldn’t move a muscle, but my body kept involuntarily coughing. The doctor evidently put the rag over my mouth to keep my coughs from spraying him with blood, but the rag became so saturated that it didn’t allow for any airflow, which effectively felt like being waterboarded. 

Sometimes when I coughed, the bloody rag would move off my mouth, which gave me the opportunity to gasp for that sweet, sweet air until the doctor put that rag back over my mouth. 

Every now and then I felt the pressure of the doctor pushing a rasp into my nose and shaving away at the bone. No pain fortunately, the sensation of suffocating and not being able to do anything about it was terrifying. .

#36

Woke up during a cardiac ablation.
They literally burn spots in your heart to prevent atrial flutter, and that’s what it felt like: someone burning the inside of my heart with a lit cigarette.

EDIT: I got about 45 burns, and I was awake for 8-10 of them.

I was wearing a CPAP so I couldn’t really talk and they told me to stop grunting and squirming in pain, which made me wonder why they weren’t at least curious why I was squirming in pain.
There was enough residual anesthesia where I couldn’t anticipate future pain, so it was like the same burn being repeated on a loop, like a fever dream. It hurt but it didn’t worry me, if that makes sense.
I told the surgeon the next day and he just said “Huh.” I always felt I should have gotten a 10% discount on the anesthesia, or a free brownie from the cafeteria or something.

Side note: they wanted me to remove my wedding ring before the surgery and I refused, but I couldn’t say why with my wife right there: if I was going to pass away on the table, I wanted to be wearing that ring when it happened.

#37

I woke up for a moment during my wisdom teeth extraction and could feel the pressure of the teeth being removed. I looked up and saw a bunch of people in the room. Can’t remember what they were talking about but something had happened to the IV in my arm and they stuck the needle in my hand. They gave me more anesthesia and ended up having trouble waking me from the anesthesia. Apparently they couldn’t wake me for hours afterwords and got worried and called my parents. Finally woke up and the first thing I heard was my dad walking in the room and I was totally out of it.

#38

My surgical team purposefully woke me up during jaw surgery.

They put me under, and the next thing I know, I’m being told to open my eyes. I eventually manage to open them, at which point they cover my eyes with a towel and continue with the surgery.

I couldn’t feel pain, but I could feel the pressure and hear the cracking of bone reverberating through my skull. I also clearly remember feeling warm liquid running down my face and wondering if it was blood. I silently cried the entire time.

Eventually, they finish up and take me to recovery. One of the nurses comes in and says, “Tisk, and I thought you were a nice girl.” Unable to talk, I look at her with confusion and grunt. “You don’t remember?” she asked. She gets all excited and pulls in another nurse to tell me the story.

Apparently, when they started the surgery, my subconscious took offense. I broke the restraining equipment, ripped out IVs, injured a nurse, tried my best to decapitate the doctor with the broken equipment, and was screaming at the top of my lungs for them to let me go.

I remember none of this. As far as I am concerned, I was asleep.

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#39

Woke up in the middle of getting my wisdom teeth removed. I remember hearing the doctors talking about their weekend plans and cracking jokes. I heard it and opened my eyes and started to laugh. One of them noticed and said “ hey he thinks it’s funny too but you shouldn’t be up “. Proceeded to increase the gas and I’m out again.

#40

I tried to sit up in the middle of my gallbladder surgery. It was imperative I tell my surgeon he looked like Steve from Blue’s Clues. They went “oh no” and I was out again.

#41

I had a very small surgery on my ear when I was 5-6. Apparently I inherited my mother’s resistance to sedatives and anesthetics. I remember opening my eyes after going under and seeing a very startled woman in a gown and mask. I either screamed or tried to scream either way they noticed I was awake. I think I started trying to struggle because there was suddenly lots of yelling and someone holding me down by my chest. They quickly got me back under. I woke up in a hospital bed with like 3-4 new stuffed animals around me.

It’s so weird how 20 years later I can still see the image of that woman in the gown and mask. I look back on it now and laugh because I’m sure the doctor was just as horrified about the situation as I was.

#42

I woke up because the IV anesthesia was not properly set in my vein and was spreading under my skin instead. They immediately put a mask over my nose and mouth to continue with gas anesthesia. I don’t remember them talking about anything specific but I was able to ask them if we are done before they noticed I was awake.

#43

My wife claims she woke up during a major lung surgery but was paralyzed and couldn’t move or communicate that she was awake in any way.

When she was finally able to speak she told the doctor that she had come to on the table.

The doctor claimed she was dreaming as an effect of the anesthesia and didn’t believe her until she started reciting the conversations in the operating room.

Talk about nightmare fuel.

#44

I got my appendix removed in my late-teens. Woke up and had a bit of a freakout moment seeing bright lights and multiple covered faces. My immediate reaction was to get up, but before I knew it, two hands grasped tightly around each of my arms, pinned me down, and I was back out in seconds.

Post procedure wakeup was much smoother and asked one of the doctors if I woke up during the procedure, who brushed it off.

#45

I was awake the entire time I was being operated on. It was a C section for my daughter. I could feel my breath and when they pulled her out. I was talking to the anaesthesiologist. Nothing else. Nurses were surprised or unsure why I was awake. I didn’t know it was uncommon.

#46

I was having arm surgery to move around a nerve running through my elbow ( the funny bone/ulnar nerve). When they put me under I dreamt I was playing with dogs in a park and I had a toy in my hand. A yellow lab was tugging on the toy with me like tug of war. I opened my eyes and the surgeon had my arm extended off the table, yanking my nerve and ligaments into place. I didn’t feel panicked at all. I looked to the anesthesiologist on the other side and she made a comment then put me under again. It didn’t hurt and I trusted the people around me so it was just an odd experience. I was there to fix a dog bite injury. If I wasn’t sedated I’d obviously have freaked out.

#47

I was young, I think between 7-10. It was less of a surgery as there was no cutting into my body. I was getting rubber tubing put in my ear canals because some parts of my body was growing faster then others . So my ear canals were not growing with the rest of my head. So to stop it from closing the put tubing in.
So in the middle of it I awoke seeing strange people and lights I called out for my mom. Scared the doctor. I still remember him saying. ” holy shi- why is he awake? Put him back under”

I was told they had to give me enough sedation to put an adult out.

#48

During my wisdom teeth removal I wasn’t fully out but also not all there either. Apparently I kept singing along to the radio and they had to keep asking me to stop. I have no memory of this.

#49

Had to be put under to get my dislocated shoulder back in place. Because I had been given morphine in the ambulance, they had to use a med they were not thrilled to use. It didn’t really work well. Woke up to three ER dr/nurses violently wrestling my arm. They had wrapped a towel around it for leverage and the doctor behind me had their foot on top of my shoulder while they yanked it. I went bezerks. Called the ER doctor the B and C words and yelled that I hated them all, along with much more. The waiting room could hear me, source being my wife. They quickly ran out and had her sign some release which was to give me propofol to get me back to sleep. When I woke up the doctor was “insulted” and huffed out after informing me what I said. The nurse just laughed and said it was a masterclass on stringing swear words together.

#50

A good friend had a brain surgery. They deliberately woke him up midways, to ask him questions about his family and stuff. They did this while operating, so they could stop, if he wasn´t able to answer. It was a painful and strange experience.

#51

They repaired a tendon in my hand and woke me up during the surgery to show me that I can move my hand. My entire forearm was flayed open and I could see the tendons moving in my arm. It was pretty cool.

#52

Went in for elbow surgery to have a new channel ground and a nerve relocated. Turns out I’m allergic to Demerol. Woke up to them forcibly intubating me, they noticed and all I remember is hearing “allergic” so I tried to stop struggling then I was out again.

I was confused for a while when I woke up, because I was covered in what looked like welts and my throat was so so sore. After a while I started to remember more.

#53

I had jaw surgery when I was in sixth grade. First and only time I’ve ever been put under.

I woke up in the OR and tried to punch my doctor. Like full on tried to attack him. It felt like a vague dream, so no idea how they remedied it. But I would be sad if I was a pediatric surgeon trying to do my job and some sixth grader started throwing hands.

#54

Woke up, looked at the monitor near the bed and seen them moving through my intestines. Asked “is that my intestines?” “Yes, it is” “Cool.” Passed back out.

#55

I was 12 and having a heart procedure that didn’t involve cracking my chest but going through veins in your groin and neck. I woke up in the middle having passed out initially before they tied me down. Woke up and started cursing and biting at the restraints. Scared the doctor who rushed the anesthesiologist back in. When I came out of surgery I told my mom I had the weirdest dream…had to go for a scan in the morning to ensure nothing got left inside when I was fighting.

#56

I once woke up while intubated. Worst experience of my life. My dad says it wasn’t more than 10-15 seconds. Luckily my hands were tied but I was flailing and trying to rip the tube out of my throat. I cannot stand anything in my mouth or touching my tongue. Hate the dentist because I have a bad gag reflex and don’t like the metal instruments touching my tongue. So yea, I remember being conscious and trying to rip out the tube. Every time I go under now I say “just make sure I don’t wake up with a tube down my throat.”.

#57

I havent but my father who was undergoing a hip replacement woke up in the middle of surgery. The surgeon was trashtalking his exwife to the nurses. My father said that that made him really comfortable because it seemed to be such a routine thing to do for the surgeon.

#58

I woke up in the middle of Cataract surgery. Looking up at the blurry ceiling, I asked “so, how’s it going?” The eye surgeon replied “We’re just waiting for the lens to unroll.” Then I went back under. No drama.

#59

Horrifyingly exquisite pain. I was having extensive sinus surgery and woke up whilst the doctors were digging in. I was utterly paralysed and could not move or make a sound. But my eyes were open and I started crying profusely. Then I heard one of the docs say, “uh oh, he’s waking up, give him more anaesthesia.” They did and mercifully I was out again until after the surgery was completed. It has haunted me since.

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