Anesthesia Awakeness
Summary
Anesthesia is given to patients who are supposed to undergo any surgery in order to desensitize them so that they do not feel any pain. Although under normal circumstances, the patient would not be aware of the surroundings but there are instances where the patient becomes conscious during the surgery since the effect of anesthesia fades away. Todd Whitlock, who had undergone a hip replacement surgery, was one such person who turned “awake” during his surgery. He could not move his body but he was feeling all the pain that his surgery entailed. These incidents can be stopped using a device called the BIS monitor. The BIS monitor monitors brain function under anesthesia and alerts the surgical team about any mishap.
Keywords: Anesthesia, surgery, BIS monitor, medical devices, Anesthesia awareness
