HI,
Have a look at the link to this article. You definately could have had an awareness and would have grounds for legal action against the hospital or Anaesthetist. There is a BIS conscious monitor available that they refer to at the end of this article.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1667192/Why-some-people-wake-up-during-surgery
Google ‘BIS Conscious Monitor’ as well. Make sure your Anaesthetist uses it.
Good luck.
I am very sorry you have had an awareness experience. I am a survivor, and I am doing research on treating trauma from awareness. I would be happy to share with you any information I have, answer questions, or just offer support. My blog is quite limited at this time, but I hope it will grow (www.anesthesiaawareness.net). You may contact me there or through Facebook (Anesthesia Awareness Research).
One of the points I make in my blog, and in my research, is that “rare” is a relative term. When you consider only 1 to 2 percent, or up to 7% for special populations experience awareness it may not sound like much, but when you consider the MILLIONS of surgical procedures that take place in the US each year, the actual numbers are high (20,000 or more each year in the US). There is also research that indicates that although drugs are administered to interfere with formation of memories during surgical incidents, the body still registers the trauma. Avoidance is part of the trauma, and fear of more surgeries is common.