Loyce Kihungi
Anaesthesia Complication
Kenya

Years ago, I was admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. Despite undergoing an ultrasound, no clear cause was found. I was advised to have an exploratory laparotomy. As an employee of the same hospital, I trusted the system and gave my consent.

The surgery revealed nothing alarming. But what happened during the operation has haunted me ever since.

As the procedure neared its end, the anesthetist reversed the general anesthesia too early—before the surgeon had finished stitching my incision. I became fully conscious but was paralysed, unable to speak or move. I could hear the voices in the operating room. I could feel every painful stitch as the surgeon sewed my skin. Each suture cut not just through my body, but through my sense of safety.

I tried to scream, to move—but my body wouldn’t respond. I was awake, in pain, and utterly helpless. Eventually, the breathing tube was removed, and I could speak. When a staff member called out for the emergency department’s extension—where I worked—I instinctively answered. The room fell silent in shock. I wasn’t supposed to be awake. Later in the ward, I told the surgeon what had happened. He seemed unsure but said he would inform the anesthetist. No one followed up. What I experienced is known as intraoperative awareness—a rare but deeply traumatic complication. The psychological and emotional scars are lasting.

I share my story to advocate for safer, more compassionate surgical care. Patients must be properly monitored, and their concerns must be taken seriously. Transparency, timely follow-up, and emotional support should be standard when adverse events occur. No patient should ever be left to suffer in silence.