Well, in my case that may have TRULY killed me.
I had Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery. On day four I seemed to be recovering as expected, but then an intestinal obstruction (doc thinks I may have been constipated going into surgery) caused my cecum (the beginning of the large intestine) to become severely distended. I had to be intubated, endured about two days of hell, but the obstruction finally passed. It turns out that the GI tract is the last thing to wake up from anesthesia, and in my case it took WAY too long.
I will NEVER again go into surgery with ANYTHING in my gut!