Benefits of music during surgery Archives - Page 4 of 6

Surgical Serenity Solutions: Ideal music delivery

While reading through some new research this morning, on the benefits of music before, during and after surgery, I came across several patients who commented that although some “pretty music” was playing in the operating room during their procedure, they couldn’t hear it very well. I wonder why? Some of the things that could very well be going on in the OR would be:

Lots of beeping from lots of different medical device machines
Lots of conversation between surgeon, nurses, assistants
Sawing, hammering and drilling if it’s a joint replacement
The music chosen by the surgeon, which is probably loud and upbeat…not what you want if you’re the patient!

Sooooo, why did we decide to find some fabulous cordless headphones? So many great reasons:

Programmable unit is totally self-contained
Our proprietary, scientifically tested, highly-praised music comes loaded on the headphones, but
You can add your own favorite music, if you wish!
There are no cords dangling around neck to tangle with other equipment
The headphones block the distracting conversations and unpleasant sound of surgery

If you’ve just found out that you need surgery, you’re probably scared and anxious. If you’ve never had surgery, you don’t know what to expect. If you have had surgery but had a bad experience, or a negative reaction to anesthesia, then you are even more fearful of going through this again. Do yourself a favor! Order the Surgical Serenity Solution now, download the free “How to Talk with Your Doctor about Using Music During Surgery,” and start getting proactive. Thousands of people have had music during their surgical experience and those that used the headphones simply rave about how easy they were and how much they helped!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

By DrAlice|May 13, 2015|Benefits of cordless headphones, Benefits of music during surgery, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Fear and Anxiety about Surgery, Fear of anesthesia|0 Comments

Surgical Serenity Solutions: a few words about our music

Surgical Serenity Solutions exists to create a surgical experience that is less stressful for the patient, speed recovery, and that will improve over-all outcomes! That said, what exactly is our proprietary music all about? Well, I’ll go so far as to say that they main idea is to get rhythmic entrainment established through the use of slow, steady, soothing, music. As a concert pianist, musicologist, and therapist, I have chosen music that fits that definition, in a variety of genres. Our first playlist is still our primary playlist and it is the one we’ve sold the most of. It is a classical piano playlist and contains 23 lesser-known classical pieces that I purposely chose because of their ability to help the patient entrain, or synchronize their heart-rate, breathing, and emotional state, quickly and easily.

When patients put the headphones on for the first-time in my presence, they invariably get a smile on their face, close their eyes, and say “ahhhh…that’s beautiful!!” I purposely chose music that is not well known, because people have such strong association with music, and, just in case it’s a piece that someone might have a negative association with, I chose music that the average piano student would not have encountered.

However, it is not at all necessary to love classical music or even be familiar with it, to greatly benefit from this playlist. The only time you’ll really hear it is as you’re going to sleep (under general anesthesia) or as you’re waking up. If you have access to the headphones or to our proprietary music (we do sell JUST the music!), before your procedure, then you can practice relaxing while listening to the music, and condition your mind and body to relax as you lie down and start the music. By the time you’re ready for surgery, you will quickly relax by the end of the first piece.

Soon we will offer a New Age playlist, a jazz-style playlist, a folk-style playlist, and more. Eventually, we’ll have multiple options within each genre! There is literally no other company that offers such a powerful, yet simple solution. To buy, just click on the link www.SurgicalSerenitySolutions.com/buy.

By DrAlice|May 6, 2015|Benefits of music during surgery, Characteristics of music for surgery, Headphones for other medical procedures, How music works, Rhythmic entrainment, Surgery Music|0 Comments

Benefits of Music with Surgery: Revisited

As our Surgical Serenity Solution isn’t exactly well-known, I spend a lot of time explaining to people of all kinds, what the benefits of music before, during, and after surgery can be! Luckily, you can also search within this blog as well as my Healing Music Enterprises Blog, and my Brain and Music blog, for lots of other posts I’ve written through the years about the use of music during surgery.

Most of my readers know intuitively that music has great power to calm, soothe, comfort and heal. Having surgery is an extremely stressful event and very few people go into it except by medical necessity. Fear and anxiety are sky-high, and for many, many reasons. First of all, patients are afraid because of whatever is causing them to need surgery: cancer, joint replacement, heart valves or by-passes, need for a C-section, and on and on. Then there is the very real fear of anesthesia and what could happen if they have a bad reaction to it. This is especially true if they have not had general anesthesia previously.

When our scientifically-chosen music is administered to the patient through pre-programmed cordless headphones, research shows a significantly decreased amount of anesthesia and pain medication is needed, during and after the procedure! As a result, the patient recovers faster and has fewer post-op side-effects such as nausea, vomiting and dizziness.

Of course depending on what the surgery or procedure is, the patient will not be dancing out of the recovery room or hospital, but if we can decrease not only the side-effects experienced, but also the length of hospital stay, then using carefully chosen music, through cordless headphones, is definitely the way to go!!

By DrAlice|March 3, 2015|Anesthesia, Benefits of music during surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Fear of anesthesia, Fear of surgery|0 Comments

Music and Surgery: Research on Benefits Continues to Emerge

When you hear someone say that music before, during and after surgery is beneficial, you assume that its a certain type of music that has been specifically chosen for surgery, right? After talking to people and working with patients and physicians and nurses about this for 25 years, I’ve heard it all!

It started out primarily with the surgeon deciding that he would be happier if HE had music playing in the OR, so he chose music that he felt would help him do a better job operating. I’ve heard of surgeon’s choosing classical, rock and roll, smooth jazz, chant, and lots more. This music usually is played through iPod speakers on a counter or shelf, or even through a boombox on the floor.

The thought was that the patient was either under general anesthesia and wouldn’t really hear it or they would be under regional anesthesia and would probably also enjoy it! Pretty “iffy” I’d say, since taste in music varies wildly. Then I came along in the late 90’s saying that even when patient was under general anesthesia, they could benefit from having their own slow, steady music, because of a process known as rhythmic entrainment.

The way this works is that our bodies respond to a nearby strong, steady beat by synchronizing with it, or entraining with it! This is a well-documented phenomenon, first noticed in the 1700’s by a Dutch physicist named Daniel Huygens. One of the things the anesthesiologist and staff do during surgery is to keep the heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure and body temperature at a resting, normal level. This can be greatly helped along by tapping into rhythmic entrainment, utilizing music with a slow, steady beat and a soothing mood.

This is the music that we have already programmed onto your Surgical Serenity headphones to achieve the Surgical Serenity Solution! A research study that came out just a couple of years ago reported that listening to music “during all three stages proved beneficial. Overall, patients who listened to music were less anxious, required less sedative medication, recovered more quickly and reported better satisfaction with their medical experience. But while some studies show that listening to classical music could yield the most positive results, the latest findings underscore the importance of taking into account patients’ musical tastes.” –

To that, I would add that when the patient is going under general anesthesia, probably classical music is best overall. Our study here at the VA Hospital utilized exclusively classical music, and although most of the men were not classical music afficianados, once they had been explained why this specific music was chosen, they were happy to give it a chance…and experienced all the benefits listed above!!

The comment below was from a blog that was citing this study above, done at the University of Kentucky by music therapists. However, it is not necessary to have a music therapist present to use our pre-programmed surgical headphones! That’s one of the money-saving benefits to hospital and patient.

I will write lots more about this in future blog posts but do let me know your thoughts and your questions! Thank you!

See more at: http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2012/11/20/how-music-therapy-may-benefit-surgery-patients/#comments

June Pegram Says:
August 27th, 2013 at 12:37 am

I had a full hysterectomy in 2005 at Stanford and my physician provided me with a cd to listen to in preparation for the surgery. The premise was to listen to the cd an follow the exercises provided along with the music. Having the music, prepared me in ways that I never would have dreamed- it actually changed my life, even to this day. There was no pre-op nervousness and before I knew it, I was in my recovery room still listening to the music. What a peaceful and relaxing way to enter something normally so stressful. My recovery was just as wonderful and I listened to the cd every night during recovery. Years later I find myself humming a few bars of the relaxation song to calm me down when I am tense. The cd has since been lost to me during several moves, but I truly wish I still had it. Music is very beneficial to the psyche and physical attributes towards preparation and healing and I will use it from now on…

– See more at: http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2012/11/20/how-music-therapy-may-benefit-surgery-patients/#comments

By DrAlice|January 28, 2015|Anesthesia, Benefits of music during surgery, Common Fears in Surgery, How music works, Recent Research on Surgery with Music, Rhythmic entrainment, Surgery Music|0 Comments

Music during surgery: for patient or surgeon?

Many people ask me if the music on our Surgical Serenity Headphones is for the surgeon or the patient. Actually, quite a bit has been written about music for the doctor, whether focusing on the surgeon or the anesthesiologist. Very litle has been written about music for the patient!

The article that I will cite, shortly, is from 2011, and is written for the general public by an M.D. in San Francisco. Although this article is very interesting, no mention is made of the powerful phenomenon known as “rhythmic entrainment” which is at the heart of the Surgical Serenity Solution! When people or medical personnel think about music during surgery, they are mainly thinking of music being broadcast in the OR through speakers or perhaps an iPod on a speaker. The music is usually chosen by the surgeon and is in accordance with his taste.

How the patient might respond to it is not really foremost in their mind. The field of music therapy has conducted hundreds of scientific, empirical studies on the use of music in healthcare, medicine and wellness. Recently there has been an increase in the number of studies focusing on the use of music with the patient during surgery. Often these studies are looking at the use of a music therapist playing live music for the patient during surgery! Although it sounds wonderful, I’m not sure how practical it really is. The operating room is a rather small space as hospitals work to accomodate as many ORs as they safely can.

In any event, the music therapists are working with the patient before surgery to determine the patient’s taste in music as well as the music that will be most beneficial to them during their procedure. Then, a music therapist usually plays the chosen music on guitar and possibly sings? Music therapist friends, please correct me if this is wrong. If I were having surgery, I would love this! However, in a busy hospital with dozens of surgeries going on daily, I think it’s not likely to be available.

For that reason, knowing how to choose the music that will best entrain, or synchronize your heart-rate and breathing is so important. Or, you can always get the pre-programmed cordless headphones, with the ideal music already on them and waiting for you. That way, the surgeons and other staff can still have their music of choice! Your choice!

For more information on music in surgery, see http://www.salon.com/2011/03/07/poprx_music_in_operating_room/

By DrAlice|August 27, 2014|Benefits of music during surgery, Characteristics of music for surgery, Headphones for other medical procedures|0 Comments

Will MY hospital have these Surgical Serenity headphones for me?

If you are going to one of the cutting edge hospitals in the U.S. (and we’re not allowed to name the hospitals who have them waiting for you at this point) you might very well find the headphones there. Four of the largest hospital systems in the world either have the headphones or are seriously considering them for their patients. All you need to do is ask your surgeon if the hospital where your procedure is being done, utilizes the Surgical Serenity Solutions. He should know immediately whether they do or don’t.

One of the main reasons I had the idea to create pre-programmed, cordless headphones for the patient was for the patients convenience. I know that when I had surgery 20 years ago, I did not have a lot of advance notice. I was literally up all night the night before my back surgery, creating three cassette tapes for before, during and after my surgery. Because I was a clinical musicologist even then, I knew the benefits of steady, soothing, instrumental music in the surgical process. My surgeon was fascinated by all of this, and even though I used a Walkman, connected to headphones with a wire, the surgeon and anesthesiologist allow this in the OR.

In 2005, when the idea to create programmed, cordless headphones was born, one of my main reasons was so that patients who were likely already in pain and quite fearful of going under general anesthesia, could have easy access to music for their surgery that had been tested and approved by hundreds of people. Now we have this!

The headphones are getting national attention now and I do believe that one day they will be standard equipment in all hospitals. If your hospital does not have them waiting for you, please order yours now!! You will be so glad that you did!

To order: www.SurgicalHeadphones.com

By DrAlice|July 28, 2014|Benefits of music during surgery, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Fear and Anxiety about Surgery, Fear of anesthesia|2 Comments

Surgical Serenity Solutions featured in local magazine

Yes, I was thrilled when a local journalist wanted to write an article about Surgical Serenity Solutions. One of the challenges that we musicians, music therapists, and clinical musicologists have is publicity. In the past, unless one had a very healthy marketing and advertising budget, it was just not possible to let the world know what all of the possibilities were for healing with music, how music affects the brain, and the tremendous benefits of music with surgery. Now, much of that has changed!

With the internet and the world wide web, Surgical Serenity Solutions now has the possibility of electronic magazines (ezines), blogs, Facebook, Twitter and so much more. All of these are basically free, but there is just a little bit of a learning curve. Thanks to all of the new “social media” options, millions more people are now aware of the healing power of music. And this week, out came one more great article about the Surgical Serenity Solution. http://issuu.com/todayswoman.com/docs/todayswomandecember2013

The only way that we can get our wonderful, pre-programmed headphones into every hospital is to use social media to the max! Surgical Serenity Solutions not only has a website, but also a blog, a FB page, www.facebook.com/surgicalserenitysolutions , a Twitter account, @music4surgery , a Instagram account, #surgicalserenitysolutions and other websites such as www.SurgicalHeadphones.com. I do hope you’ll connect with us in as many of these venues as possible!

There is so much to understand about how to use music with your surgery and so much medical research to report on now! Don’t miss out on this exciting new development in the world of surgery and the world of MusicMedicine.

Would love to get your comments and questions after reading this! Thanks!

By DrAlice|December 1, 2013|Anesthesia, Benefits of music during surgery, Fear of surgery, Headphones for other medical procedures|0 Comments

New research study on the use of music and reassuring words during surgery

Just important might reassuring music or reassuring words be to you during the surgical process? Quite a bit, according to a study that just came out of Sweden. Why do people utter words of reassurance? Why do people like hearing words of reassurance? When undergoing a medical procedure that is potentially painful, we tend to give our power to the doctor and the medical staff. If they reassure us that it probably will turn out well, or that the pain will be brief of even not that painful, we like that!

Add some soothing music to the formula and it’s going to be even better! Check out this new study that verifies that this is really true! 🙂 Enjoy!

“(NewsFix) Women who heard relaxing music and reassuring words during an operation made a much better recovery than those who did not.
Although you are unconscious during surgery, the brain may still be aware – at some level – of what’s going on around you. Researchers at Orebro Medical Center Hospital in Sweden have demonstrated this to dramatic effect. A group of 90 women undergoing hysterectomies were assigned to either relaxing music, reassuring words and music, or the usual sounds of the operating theatre.

Those exposed to music along with the soothing sound of ocean waves – with or without reassuring words – experienced less post-operative pain and fatigue and were able to sit up sooner after surgery than those who did not hear music. They also felt better when they got home. But there were no benefits in terms of length of hospital stay, nausea or bowel function.

Since playing music and saying reassuring words is simple and inexpensive, there’s not reason not to try it out with all surgical patients, say the researchers. At the very least, it would blot out any worrying comments being made by the medical team which might be picked up – at some level – by the patient.”

By DrAlice|October 30, 2013|Anesthesia, Benefits of music during surgery, Common Fears in Surgery, Fear and Anxiety about Surgery, Fear of surgery, Power of Reassuring words and music!|0 Comments

Case History #8: 51 y.o.woman with hysterectomy

One of the most interesting patients that I worked with was a 51 y.o. woman who was also a music therapist. She loved music so much but suffered from severe performance anxiety and so she could never play for others and had gone into another helping profession. However, her love of music was still intense and when she found that she could use the music she loved to help her through surgery, this is what she wanted to do!

She had been suffering from large fibroids, painful and heavy menstrual periods since her teens and was now being told that she needed a complete hysterectomy so that she would not have to worry about the cervical cancer that had claimed her mother’s life. Patient was extremely anxious about going under the knife, but believed that being able to listen to music as she went under general anesthesia and being able to wake up to the same gentle, rhythmic music would make it less terrifying for her.

On the day of the surgery, she was listening through her headphones from the moment she arrived at the hospital. There was a bit of a glitch, she reported, when they finally took her back to be gowned and given an IV. She said that having the soft, soothing music playing in her ears while they took her vital signs and asked a few last questions of her sister, was so comforting.

The surgery was a complete success and the patient reported that one of the best thing about having music was that it helped to orient her to where she was and what had just happened: the surgery. Despite rather bad nausea and vomiting in the ER, patient said that she still felt the music made it so much easier and more tolerable. Remember, fear is necessarily about logic and even having lots of “head” information. If you’re scared, you’re scared. Let the music go in with you and comfort you…all the way!

By DrAlice|September 26, 2013|Anesthesia, Benefits of music during surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Music and Hysterectomy|0 Comments

More Benefits for Music with Surgery: HIPAA compliance

Today I was talking with a nurse at a large mid-Western hospital. They had contacted me about buying our pre-programmed headphones for their surgery patients and I was answering her questions and beginning to understand what their specific needs were. The nurse told me that they specifically wanted them for pre-surgery, because there were invariably a room full of patients waiting to be taken into surgery and that each was allowed to have two people with them.

Occasionally, the nurse went on, the room is crowded with surgical patients and one of them begins having a problem or an issue of one kind or another. The nurses congregate at the one nursing station to discuss the patient/issue/medical crisis and all of the other patients and family members can easily hear the conversation! Of course this is totally against HIPAA compliance with privacy and patient confidentiality. In other words, one of the main reasons they wanted the Surgical Serenity Headphones was so that patients achieved privacy and sonic “space.”

When we look at benefits, we typically cite

reduced anxiety
stabilized blood pressure
stabilized breathing and oxygenation of blood
reduced anesthesia requirements
faster recovery for patient
less nausea and vomiting after surgery
back to work and life faster because of less medication

Now we have a new one: better HIPAA compliance! And that is truly a big deal. I’ve worked at several different hospitals since HIPAA was put into law and I know that the fines for violating HIPAA laws are enormous. Hospitals can even lose the accreditation is they repeatedly violate HIPAA laws and policies. Very important! Take note, hospital administrators!

By DrAlice|September 20, 2013|Benefits of music during surgery, Surgical Headphones and HIPAA|0 Comments