Advice on anaesthesia awareness and claiming compensation

Anaesthesia awareness is a horrendous thing to even think about; let alone to have to go through…

When a patient goes under general anaesthesia they are given pain relief medication and / or medication to cause unconsciousness. If this fails to work correctly then the patient could wake up and become aware of what is going on during the surgery – which is commonly known as anaesthesia awareness.

There are also cases where the pain relief is not adequate as well, so the patient is not only awake during the surgery, but also feels the pain. Patients also require medication that will prevent movement when general anaesthesia is administered.

There are rare cases where both the pain medication and the medication that causes unconsciousness fail to work, and only the paralytic part does. In these cases the patient can be aware of what is going on and can feel pain but is unable to move or do anything about it.

Severe awareness is rare, and it’s a remote possibility for it to take place.

How does it happen?

Anaesthesia awareness can happen for a number of reasons:

• The anaesthetist miscalculates the level of anaesthesia to give to patients;
• Failure to check and make sure the right drugs and the right amount is administered;
• Failure to monitor a patient properly during an operation for any signs of awareness.

How it can affect a victim

Those that have suffered from anaesthesia awareness during an operation can suffer serious psychological affects. Being awake and unable to move during invasive surgery is difficult to even imagine, let alone have to go through.

It can have an understandably profound effect on a victim that can last a lifetime, especially if the right help is not sought.

Victims of anaesthesia awareness have been known to suffer from an array of conditions, such as:

• Insomnia
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Flash backs
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

All of these psychological effects can have a detrimental effect on someone’s life, causing mood alterations, the breakdown of relationships, being unable to work, etc…

Our Medical Negligence Lawyers are used to helping people cope with the serious effects of medical malpractice. We know, and understand, just how hard it is to have to go through such a thing. In a case like this, it’s not just about seeking compensation as justice – it’s about getting you the best private medical help we can to get you back on track mentally.

Our No Win, No Fee can cover private care with psychologists and for counselling.

Can you claim?

If you have suffered anaesthesia awareness during an operation, and have gone on to suffer psychologically effects as a result of your ordeal, you may be entitled to damages.

You can claim for what’s happened and how it has affected you, as well as any financial losses suffered. We can sort out all the private medical care you need, so all you need to do is turn up to the locally arranged appointments and let our experts get you back on the road to normal life.

We are not just lawyers who do all the legal stuff for you – we are your care team and your first point of contact to making sure you get justice for what has happened, and to get you back on track with your life again.