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Music Soothes Surgical Stress, Lowers Anesthetic Needs
25 Nov
Summary
- Patients needed less propofol and fentanyl when listening to music.
- Music therapy reduced physiological stress response during surgery.
- Patients who heard music reported smoother awakenings and higher satisfaction.
Calming instrumental music played during surgery can lead to a significant reduction in anesthetic requirements and improve patient outcomes. A recent study focused on patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, comparing those who listened to music through noise-cancelling headphones with a control group.
The findings revealed that patients in the music group required substantially less propofol, the primary anesthetic for maintaining unconsciousness. They also needed fewer supplementary doses of fentanyl, an opioid used to manage blood pressure and heart rate spikes.
Beyond reduced drug usage, music therapy demonstrably lowered the physiological stress response, as indicated by lower serum cortisol levels post-surgery. Patients exposed to music also reported smoother recoveries and higher satisfaction, suggesting music's efficacy as a safe, non-pharmacological aid in surgical care.
