The film doesn't open until today, but for weeks patients have been peppering anesthesiologists with the same question: "Will I wake up during my surgery?"
The source of these worries is the psychological thriller "Awake", which depicts a patient who regains consciousness during a heart transplant; the patient is in agony but is unable to say anything.
Anesthesiologists say publicity for the movie greatly exaggerates the frequency of a rare phenomenon, and they are preparing for a surge of anxious patients after this weekend.
Anesthesia awareness, they say, occurs when medications have not fully taken effect or begin to wear off too soon, allowing patients to recall specific events or even conversations in the operating room.
"When awareness does occur, it is usually reports of patients with vague recollections or acknowledgment of discussion," said Dr. Donald Ganim, president of the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists and chief anesthesiologist at Beverly Hospital.
Patients receiving emergency caesarean sections, trauma, or cardiac surgery are the most likely to experience awareness during operations.
"The risk of awareness is higher in those extreme cases because the anesthetic could have a negative effect on the blood pressure," and so doctors have to give lower doses, said Dr. Michael Entrup, chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at New England Medical Center and Tufts Medical School. "This is still very rare and patients should not be concerned."
As the movie's trailers began this month, anesthesiologists saw rising concern among patients. "Many patients have mentioned the movie trailer and say that they have found it terrifying," said Dr. Alex Hannenberg, assistant chair of anesthesiology at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
The movie's director, Joby Harold, defends the film, saying in a telephone interview that people should know of the possibility. "This film is alerting people of a real-life phenomenon, worse-case scenario, and promoting awareness," Harold said.
Entrup said anesthesia awareness is a complication already explained in presurgery consent forms, "and we will probably go over them more with patients."
"Every patient is under stress before surgery and I hope this movie does not increase that even more," Hannenberg said. "Patients should not make important medical decisions about undergoing surgery treatments on the basis of a fictional movie story," he added.
