About

The Anaesthetic Awareness Network UK & Ireland exists in order to:

  • offer support and encouragement to victims of awareness and their families
  • share stories and information where appropriate for the benefit of victims
  • develop a network of patients and professionals who are willing to work together to find effective solutions to the problem of awareness
  • campaign nationally and internationally for the benefit of patients, with particular regard to the appropriate after-care of those who have experienced awareness
  • act as a catalyst for change, in both public and professional arenas, regarding the availability of technologies for consciousness monitoring during anaesthesia

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WHO STARTED THE ANAESTHETIC AWARENESS NETWORK (UK & Ireland)?

The Anaesthetic Awareness Network was set up in March 2005 by Sally Pearson. Sally underwent an awareness experience during an emergency caesarean for the birth of her son 20 years ago. The anaesthetist responsible for the operation hadn’t noticed that the tube giving Sally the nitrous oxide gas had become disconnected at the beginning of surgery. Sally had been paralysed with a muscle relaxant, intubated and had her eyes taped shut. She was totally aware of what was happening to her for the entire operation. As the surgeon’s knife sliced across her stomach, she tried to scream her terror and distress to the medical staff, but was unable in any way to indicate that she was awake. She remained conscious throughout the delivery of her son until the wound was stapled together, at which point the anaesthetist realised what had happened, and connected the anaesthetic gas again.

A ‘VERY RARE EVENT’?

One of the things Sally and her husband David were told all those years ago was that Sally’s experience was a ‘very rare event’, that was unlikely to happen in the future because of new technologies that were becoming available.

HOW DID THE HOSPITAL RESPOND?

In Sally’s case, a series of fortunate events following the operation meant that the mistake was acknowledged and admitted by the hospital. She received support rather than the ‘closing of ranks’ that sometimes follow medical accidents. Recent research in relation to awareness experiences indicates that this openness was a significant factor in Sally’s recovery, as was the fact that James was born fit and well, and has grown up to be a healthy young man.

‘IT WON’T HAPPEN IN FUTURE!’

Sally and David were assured that, with the advent of new technologies, future patients undergoing surgery would be protected against awareness during surgery. In 1990, they and James took part in a BBC TV documentary (Rough Justice’s ‘Raw Deal’) to speak about the problem of awareness under anaesthesia, and the importance of hospitals responding well to patients following an adverse incident.

Following this, and believing that her experience was indeed unlikely to happen to others, Sally and David decided to do their best to put the incident behind them, in order to pour their energies into the joy of parenthood.

WHY START AN ANAESTHETIC NETWORK (UK & Ireland)?

Upon reading Ian Sample’s account (Guardian Weekend 19th February 2005) of how Carol Weihrer had founded the Anesthesia Awareness Campaign, Inc. in America, following her own terrible experience whilst undergoing eye surgery, Sally received a great shock. Seventeen years after Sally’s own experience it was clear that the refusal, by many medical professionals, to change attitudes towards the introduction of consciousness monitoring techniques and use the new technologies available, meant that at least as many as 1 to 2 in 1000 patients may have experienced some form of awareness, and possibly 4 to 6 times higher in paediatric cases.

ANESTHESIA AWARENESS CAMPAIGN INC.,

Carol Weihrer has worked tirelessly with the medical profession in the USA to ‘raise awareness of awareness’ and fight for change as a matter of priority rather than expediency (see www.anesthesiaawareness.com ).

At great cost to herself, both financially and physically, she supports and encourages victims of awareness to help them come to terms with their experience and its aftermath. It is due to her inspiration and commitment to make a difference that the Anaesthetic Awareness Network (UK & Ireland) was developed. Its aim is to learn from and work with her campaign and bring together those, professional and lay, doctors and patients, this side of the Atlantic who are interested in ensuring that consciousness monitoring remains high on the agenda for change.

2008 is a particularly significant year for both Carol and Sally, as it has given them the opportunity for the first time to meet and work together in person! (see the News post for 24th March 2008 - ‘MAA7 Historic Meeting in Munich’).