Patient undergoes heart surgery while awake

thats very sad to know some of our medical technology can not completely knock out someone for surgery especially on your heart.

I had surgery on my neck to have a cyst removed while awake also, not a pleasant experience and i wish they put me out

I would be curious as to whether or not the patient felt the pressure of the incision or just nothing at all. I've heard of women receiving the epidural and feeling the "pressure" of the delivery, but not the pain, just curious if the same phenomena would apply. I don't know if I could do something like that unless I had no choice. It looks like a bad dream come true, IMO.

I would be curious as to whether or not the patient felt the pressure of the incision or just nothing at all. I've heard of women receiving the epidural and feeling the "pressure" of the delivery, but not the pain, just curious if the same phenomena would apply. I don't know if I could do something like that unless I had no choice. It looks like a bad dream come true, IMO. I presume he wouldn't be in pain (although that's not what I've heard from women who had epidurals while giving birth!) but just being aware of what is going on-- and what they're doing to you-- is something I personally fin... [More]

on my last surgery I was awake; they didn't even use an epidural or numb up the area with a local, it was all done with propofol...the same drug that did Michael Jackson in... I had what is called a Spinal Nerve Stimulator put in...it is kind of like a pacemaker, in that is send out a constant electrical signal to some damaged nerves I have in my back that are causing a lot of pain...the pacemaker device sends a signal to the same nerves, and it confuses the nerves that is sending out a constant pain signal. Anyway the device is about an inch and a half wide and about 3/4 of an inch thick, and... [More]

Like a bad freakin dream come true, Fluff.

thats very sad to know some of our medical technology can not completely knock out someone for surgery especially on your heart. Umm, Obviously they could knock him out, they just dident. It was probly his choice. Edit: Typo

I'm glad you have finally gotten your back, hopefully, taken care of, Fluffy...but yowie...

I don't know if I would want to be awake for an open heart operation....and this is coming from someone who has had 2 c-sections while awake.

it depends,some people are different and tolerate things differently. i for example had a colonoscopy while completely awake. the anesthesia never worked and i was up the whole time and watched the screen and i even pointed out to the doctor, the polyps i saw on the screen i also once chose to watch surgery on my foot, they numbed the toe area and i forced the divider away and told the doctor i wanted to watch many people have brain surgery while awake