The Daily When Anesthesia Fails and the Patient Is Cut Open
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Feb 6, 2026 
Susan Burton, reporter and host of The Retrievals, investigates women who felt major pain during C-sections. She recounts firsthand accounts of feeling incisions and organs, examines why sensations are dismissed as pressure, and explores systemic causes, research findings, and practical fixes to improve pain recognition and care.
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Patient Felt Surgery While Awake
- Vanessa Lenner felt excruciating pain during her C-section and later developed PTSD symptoms.
- She screamed, was told it was "pressure," and missed the joyful moment of her baby's birth.
Graphic Description Of C-Section Experience
- Susan Burton recounts the physical steps of a C-section and how painful they can feel if anesthesia fails.
- Patients described feeling muscles torn, organs moved, and hearing surgeons teach while they were awake.
Clinicians Recall Disturbing OR Moments
- Clinicians recalled cases where patients grimaced then screamed, prompting urgent calls to put them to sleep.
- Residents remember being taught to accept some sensation, complicating pain recognition.