Intraoperative Awareness Under General Anesthesia has been prepared by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants, and the Anesthesia Awareness Campaign, Inc. to answer patients' questions.

Educating the public about intraoperative awareness under general anesthesia and minimizing its occurrence is a high priority of all four organizations.

This brochure explains what awareness under general anesthesia is and isn't, and why it can happen.  It discusses what researchers and health care providers are doing to lessen the chance of this rare event and offers guidance to patients for discussing concerns about awareness with their anesthesia professional.