Visual hallucinations are not uncommon after general anesthesia [1]. However, visual hallucinations occurring solely on eye closure after general anesthesia have been documented in only two cases, after cardiovascular surgery [2,3].

Nearly all the patients included said they heard voices or other sounds under general anaesthesia (patients’ eyes are typically closed during surgery so visual experiences tend to be less common).

Will I dream while asleep? While under general anesthesia, you are in a drug-induced unconsciousness, which is different than sleep. Therefore, you will not dream. However, if you are under a nerve block, epidural, spinal or local anesthetic, patients have reported having pleasant, dream-like experiences.

Answer: Most people are awake in the recovery room immediately after an operation but remain groggy for a few hours afterward. Your body will take up to a week to completely eliminate the medicines from your system but most people will not notice much effect after about 24 hours.

The condition, called anesthesia awareness (waking up) during surgery, means the patient can recall their surroundings, or an event related to the surgery, while under general anesthesia. Although it can be upsetting, patients usually do not feel pain when experiencing anesthesia awareness.

General anesthesia works by interrupting nerve signals in your brain and body. It prevents your brain from processing pain and from remembering what happened during your surgery.

Weiher is one of few people who have experienced anesthesia awareness. Although normally a patient does not remember anything about surgery that involves general anesthesia, about one or two people in every 1,000 may wake up during general anesthesia, according to the Mayo Clinic.