Many people fear the simple thought of getting a surgery, but unfortunately there are worse things to worry about. Out of 1000 people who go into a surgical procedure, two people will leave the hospital traumatized for the rest of their lives, and when they attempt to explain their experience, they are not believed. This rare condition is called Intraoperative Awareness. A study done by Samuelsson reports that some patients experience extended and unwanted results range from post traumatic stress disorder to severe depression. Also, 33% of patients also experienced psychological problems such as anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks.

“Reports of intraoperative awareness generally apply only to patients who have received general anesthesia, since painless auditory recall by patients receiving regional (e.g., epidural) anesthesia is not surprising. Patients who receive regional anesthesia often receive medication for sedation and anxiolysis but are usually arousable.” ( Canadian Medical Association) Following the discovery of Intraoperative Awareness, and the advancement of modern-day anesthesiology, hospitals have been equipped with computers that can read brain activity during surgery which help prevent this situation from occurring. Sadly, very few hospitals are able to afford such technology therefore leaving many people with the chance to experience such pain.