September 2006 - Surgical Serenity Solutions

Using Headphones for Surgery Music

Surgeons and medical staff have been using music in the OR for sometime now, but few people really consider that the patient needs music too. Or that the music that the patient needs is very different from what the surgical staff needs.

While the medical staff performs surgery, they often listen to high energy upbeat music, especially for long surgeries. The patient, on the other hand, needs slow, steady, serene music that will keep their bodies relaxed and bio-rhythms stabilized. This is why headphones for the patient should really be standard procedure. I have had back surgery with a Walkman and tapes I put together and I have helped dozens of other people choose music for their surgery.

If you’re going to have surgery in the near future, please contact me and let me help you choose the perfect music for YOU!

Benefits of Music During Surgery

Despite hundreds of research studies documenting the benefits of music in the OR, most patients are still not offered the chance to use music during their surgery. Why? I believe it is because of the pervasive belief that when one is anesthetized, one cannot hear anything that is going on in the OR. This, despite the fact that many, many, many people have awakened in the recovery area of hospitals reporting exact conversations that they heard while “asleep” under anesthesia.

For the next several weeks and months, I will be reporting on all the existing research I can find on music with surgery, leading up to a very exciting announcement at the end of this year! Stay tuned!

Alice