Intraoperative Awareness during Rhinoplasty Christian Bohringer, MBBS and Jaijeet Toor, MD | July 31, 2024

https://psnet.ahrq.gov/web-mm/intraoperative-awareness-during-rhinoplasty Intraoperative Awareness During Rhinoplasty During elective rhinoplasty, a patient became aware that she was awake. She heard the conversation among the surgical team members and felt that the breathing tube was pushed up against the inside of her throat, impeding her ability to breathe. She was unable to move but recalls making a “monumental effort” to utter a small groaning noise, which alerted the surgeon to the fact that she was awake. She heard the surgeon verbally acknowledge her condition and offer reassurance that the operation was almost over. During the first follow-up visit, the surgeon did not address the situation, so the patient brought it up at the end of the visit. The surgeon seemed surprised and embarrassed that the patient remembered waking up during the operation but could not explain what happened. This WebM&M Spotlight Case with CE/MOC commentary discusses the risk factors for intraoperative awareness, approaches to prevent awareness, and the importance of validating and addressing the patient’s experience, including addressing symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome.