Comment by lr4444lr

Just an anecdote: I once had a procedure that required I be under a "light" general anesthesia (don't recall which). I was generally paranoid at the time though about everything, and strapped an audio recorder to my leg secretly. Turns out I did wake up mid procedure (the audio suggests doctor and nurse rushed to stop me from touching the area of operation of my face, and that I was distressed) but as the doctor promised, the sedative would have a strong effect on my short term memory and I remember not being able to recall any of what I had heard on the recording. I don't consider this at all traumatic: my memory was selectively wiped of that time period by virtue of the drug. Life just went on. It may not be popular to say, but I do feel from my experience that pain with no memory is pretty much as good as no pain, in the grand scheme of things.