‘I felt hands tugging inside me’: Woman details the horrifying moment she woke up mid-operation

Having any sort of operation can be terrifying, and in a moment that will undoubtedly increase those fears, this woman woke up as the surgeon’s hands were “tugging” inside of her.

Barbara Tite is no stranger to general anaesthesia, having undergone surgery several times. In 2017, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare and incurable blood and bone cancer that required stem cell transplants.

Seven years later, in 2024, doctors discovered a perforation in her bowel that could have been fatal. They operated, but she is now living with PTSD after something went horribly wrong.

Credit: Facebook

Barbara Tite woke up mid-operation, comparing it to being ‘buried alive’

Though it’s a common fear, anaesthetic awareness only affects one in every 19,000 operations. Experiences differ from person to person, but people have recalled hearing voices, feeling pressure in the body, and feeling everything the surgeons are doing.

“I couldn’t do anything. It was utterly horrendous, like being buried alive,” she told The Sun. “At first I thought I’d come round and was in recovery. There was no pain but I felt the sensation of the hands tugging inside me. I could hear muffled laughter. It was then that I realised in sheer horror I was still being operated on but they didn’t know I had woken up.”

She tried blinking but was unable to, and though she wanted to scream, Barbara couldn’t move her mouth or head. Eventually, she was able to wiggle her finger, with the doctors increasing her sedation in response.

“When I woke, I was in recovery,” she recalled. “It felt like ages, but could have been seconds. All I knew is I was aware.”

Two anaesthetists later dropped by to discuss the procedure, with the more junior of the two apologising.

Most Read

Dished: Here’s everyone who is smoking and vaping in the Love Island 2026 villa

Um, this guy is going viral for marrying Bonnie Blue and fathering her child and it’s all a bit odd

‘Pure evil’: 16 Ohio children rescued after being held in tiny 12-foot room for four years

She revealed: “He held up his hands and said, ‘I’m so sorry, it was all my fault.’ It was only after the anaesthetic truly wore off that I felt angry. I had no follow-up and no care. Just an apology.”

Credit: GoFundMe

She didn’t complain about the mistake, not wanting to ruin the young doctor’s career, but Barbara was left with PTSD and other doctors calling her a liar.

“He suggested I’d imagined the whole thing. I was furious and burst into tears and left,” Barbara added.

A spokesperson for Milton Keynes University Hospital told the BBC: “We are very sorry that Mrs Tite experienced distress when she was in our care last June. Every patient should feel safe when they are in our hospital.

“We believe that she experienced a sense of awareness as she was emerging from anaesthetic at the end of her operation, and fully acknowledge how difficult this was for her, especially in light of her past history. Acute providers, such as hospitals, do not offer the counselling that Mrs Tite seeks, and we have outlined how she can access this support.

“We are always here to discuss this matter further with Mrs Tite.”

New fear, unlocked.

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.

Featured image credit: Facebook/Canva