Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia Archives - Page 4 of 9

Preparing for your surgery: 3 Easy Ideas

If you’ve just found you need surgery, or if you’ve decided to have an elective procedure, you still have fears and anxiety. Everyone does if they’re honest with themselves:

What if something goes wrong?
What if I wake up in the middle of the procedure?
What if I don’t wake up at all?!

In the vast majority of surgeries, nothing goes wrong. Surgery happens all over the world, every day. But when things go wrong, whether it’s leaving the sponge inside the patient’s body, taking off the wrong leg, or breast, or hand, it’s extremely traumatic.

I was always taught that knowledge is power, so if you’re planning to have surgery, you need to get information and do everything you reasonably can to assure a successful procedure. One of the easiest things you can do is to listen to music before, during and after your surgery or other medical procedure.

If you have enough time and know-how, you can begin choosing some of your favorite relaxing, comforting music to listen to, initially for an hour each day before the surgery, while lying down so that you can practice relaxing when you hear that self-chosen music.
You can talk to your surgeon in advance of the surgery and download your chosen music to your iPod or other MP3 player. If s/he approves the plan, you can take it to the hospital the day of the surgery and begin listening as soon as you get there, and continue all the way through recovery. There is ample research documenting the benefits of this, including reduced anxiety meds, anesthesia, and pain medication afterwards.
If you don’t have time, know-how, or willingness to do these things, you can buy pre-programmed headphones that already have the slow, steady, soothing music that researchers believe will keep your heart-beat and respiration steady and decrease the amount of anesthesia and pain medication you will need.

If I can help you in any way, feel free to contact me via a comment on this blog. Best wishes for a successful procedure!

By DrAlice|August 27, 2012|Anesthesia, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Fear of anesthesia, Fear of surgery, Music and Anesthesia|0 Comments

How Does Music Reach the Brain during Surgery

When patients have surgery today, music CAN come to them in one of several different ways. Sometimes there is ambient music in the operating room. Oftentimes, the surgeon has speakers set up that are playing HIS or HER favorite music. That’s great for the surgeon, but the music that the surgeon needs is often the opposite from what the patient needs. The surgeon wants rhythmic, upbeat music that will keep his energy up and his focus sharp! The patient needs music that is slow, soothing and steady. Even under general anesthesia, the heart and breathing will entrain or synchronize with the pulse of the music.

When the patient listens to music of this type, he can have all the benefits of less anesthesia, less anxiety medication and less pain medication. The less medication and anesthesia that the patient requires, the faster and safer the recovery will be. When the patient listens through headphones, the surgeon’s music is blocked, or at least muffled greatly. Also, conversations in the OR that the patient doesn’t need to hear will be blocked. Patients often report that they heard conversations between nurses and doctors that were upsetting in one way or another.

A third choice in some hospitals is actual live music, administered by a music therapist. I think this would be fantastic because clearly the music would be geared toward the patient. I’m not sure how practical this is in a large busy hospital where the 20 operating rooms are busy all day long. MY choice would be the headphones and the only place that carries them right now is www.SurgicalSerenitySolutions.com. Check them out and let me know what you think. They can be used for years after the surgery and you can add more music or delete any and all of it and create your own playlist. Not only that, but you can download the music from the website onto your own iPod or MP3 player. Pretty cool!!

By DrAlice|August 15, 2012|Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures, Music and the 8th Cranial Nerve, Rhythmic entrainment|0 Comments

Surgery Headphones continue to help people get through surgery with fewer problems

When the surgery headphones were conceived in 2005, there had already been 15 years of preparation. Starting in 1990. we were beginning to be aware at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, that music before and after surgery were powerful ways of decreasing anxiety and pain, as well as stabilizing blood pressure, body temp and mood. We weren’t positive about how much effect it might have during surgery, but we suspected that it could reduce the amount of anesthesia even though the patient’s sense of hearing is not functioning. How does that work? Through the process of “entrainment” which means that the pulse of the music is transmitted by vibration through the headphones directly to the brain and body. Because of this phenomenon of “rhythmic entrainment” the heartrate and breathing synchronize with the pulse of the music and this keeps the body relaed through the surgery.

Of course, the less medication the patient has, the faster they recover, get back to work and the fewer complications arise. We can mail the headphones anywhere in the world and we can program the type of music you request for a slight additional fee. The music we have selected now is classical piano music that has the slow, steady pulse that is best for surgery. Don’t have surgery without them!!

By DrAlice|July 15, 2012|Anesthesia, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Music and Anesthesia|0 Comments

Going Under the Knife: are you afraid of anesthesia?

People tell me on a regular basis that they have a tremendous fear of going under anesthesia, especially general anesthesia. Today, general anesthesia is a very safe process, if you have no complications, are in generally good health, and have no history of problems with anesthesia.

There are many exceptions to the above-mentioned situations though. What if you have cancer and have been taking chemotherapy and have a suppressed immune system? What if you are elderly and frail with a heart condition or other pre-existing conditions? What if you have lots of allergies and a family history of problems with anesthesia. Of course, there is not an easy answer here. Each case must be judged on its own merits and you must talk very carefully with your doctors and your family. However, in some cases, you just need to have surgery and you really need to have general anesthesia.

In this case I would strongly recommend that you consider using music before, during and after the procedure. Music is a very well-documented and effective adjunct to anesthesia. Slow, steady, soothing music entrains or synchronizes with your heartbeat and breathing to keep you calm and relaxed before they take you back, during the surgery, and throughout your time in the recovery room.

In addition, many surgeons today play their own favorite music in the OR and often it is upbeat, fast and even syncopated music. This is thought not to affect the patient, and yet patients come to me after their surgery and tell me they heard conversations and loud music that they did not like! For this reason, I recommend that the patient listen to their own favorite music through lightweight, cordless headphones that have the most appropriate music already programmed onto them.

If you have the time and know far enough in advance, you can create your own playlist and bring your own iPod or other MP3 player in. OR, you can get some from www.surgicalheadphones.com. They are being used around the world already and research studies are in progress to prove their effectiveness in reducing the amounts of medication you will need. Best wishes as you go through this process and let me know how it goes!

Listening to soothing music before, during and after surgery can reduce the amount of anesthesia and pain medication you require

By DrAlice|June 14, 2012|Anesthesia, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Music and Anesthesia, Music and Propofol, Music in the hospital, Rhythmic entrainment|0 Comments

Want Music with Your Surgery?: the Time is NOW!

There has never been a better time to utilize the power of music with your surgery. For several decades now, surgeons have been playing their favorite music in the O.R. but it was assumed that if the patient was under general anesthesia, that they did not need their own music, nor were they affected by the surgeon’s music. Current research and awarenesses are rapidly changing that!

It turns out that not only IS the patient affected negatively if the surgeon choses raucous or too lively music (and yes, that does happen!) A surgical nurse locally told me that one surgeon regularly plays “Queen’s” song “Another One Bites the Dust” when he operates! I was appalled! On the other hand, surgeons and anesthesiologists are becoming aware that even when the patient is totally unconscious from the anesthesia and unable to “hear” technically, the slow, steady, pulsing of certain classical music can entrain or synchronize the person’s heartrate and breathing so that they stay more relaxed on the operating table with less anesthesia. Because they require less anesthesia to stay asleep, they awaken sooner and with less nausea, dizziness, “brain fog” and recover faster!

When the patient recovers faster, they are discharged from the hospital sooner, with fewer side effects, they get back to work and back to the lives sooner and the hospital can process more patients in one 24 hour period. So what’s the downside? We haven’t found anything yet.

Yes, you can create your own playlist of your favorite slow, steady music and download it to your own iPod to take into surgery….or you can get these really amazing lightweight, cordless headphones that have a built-in MP3 player, already loaded with “Surgical Serenity” music! Your choice! Click on the picture of the headphones or go to www.SurgicalHeadphones.com to learn more. You can also contact me at DrAlice@surgicalheadphones.com. Best wishes on your surgery.

By DrAlice|May 21, 2012|Characteristics of music for surgery, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Music and Anesthesia, Rhythmic entrainment, Surgery Music, which hospitals use music headphones|0 Comments

Classical music ‘improves surgery’

Classical music could become a routine part of surgery, after a study found it helped to relax patients under local anaesthetic.

Surgeons believe playing a little knife music might benefit patients so much that they recover sooner from their operations.

Mozart was not actually one of the composers that those in the study got to hear. However, they were offered equally soothing pieces by Beethoven, Vivaldi and Bach.

Frank Sinatra was also on hand for those who preferred some easy listening during the operations, which included washing out major wounds.

Hazim Sadideen, the plastic surgeon who led the project at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, said: “Undergoing surgery can be a stressful experience for patients and finding ways of making them more comfortable should be our goal as clinicians.

“There are also good medical reasons – calmer patients may cope better with pain and recover quicker.

“This small scale work is the first time an attempt has been made to measure the impact music has in this specific group of patients and hints at the need for bigger multi-centre research to establish whether this should become part of standard practice.”

In the study, published in the journal Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons, 96 patients undergoing minor surgery were randomly assigned either music or silence. All were awake during their procedures, which included routine removal of skin lesions and cleansing of upper limb wounds after accidents.

The half played music reported lower anxiety levels and lower breathing rates than the others.

The medics did not evaluate whether Beethoven was better for patients than Bach.

By DrAlice|May 9, 2012|Anesthesia, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures, Music and Anesthesia, Recent Research on Surgery with Music, Surgery Music|0 Comments

Why do you need headphones and music during surgery?

Having surgery is a dangerous thing, but sometimes not having surgery is more dangerous. If you’ve been told that you need to have surgery, there are certain risks you will want to be aware of:

Anesthesia reactions:

Most problems that arise during surgery are the result of the surgery, not the sedation for the procedure. While uncommon, there are very serious complications that can occur if a patient has a reaction to the anesthesia drugs.

Most problems associated with anesthesia are related to the process of intubation, or inserting the breathing tube. Aspiration, or breathing food or fluid into the lungs, can be a problem, during surgery. Some patients also experience an increased heart rate or elevated blood pressure during the process.

The problem of anesthesia awareness has been discussed a great deal in the media, but waking during surgery or being awake throughout the surgery, is a very rare when anesthesia is provided by an anesthesiologist or a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).

Malignant hyperthermia, a reaction to anesthesia that causes the patient’s temperature to rise rapidly, is life threatening. A patient who has had malignant hyperthermia in the past has a significant increase in risk and should discuss the issue with their surgeon and anesthesia provider. (information can be found on http://surgery.about.com/od/beforesurgery/a/RisksSurgery.htm)

How can music help? When patients have begun relaxing before their procedure with slow, familiar, favorite music, it is only natural that their bodies and muscles are not as tense and therefore the patient can be put to sleep more easily and with less anesthesia. When the music is continued, through cordless headphones, througout the surgery, the patient’s body stays relaxed and music with a steady, slow pulse, synchronizes the heartrate and breathing. Again, because the body is staying relaxed with the slow, steady music, less anesthesia is needed and the patient wakes up soon, still listening to the music through headphones, and requires less pain medication.

Several studies are in process right now, around the U.S. and doctors, hospitals, and patients are quite excited about the possibilities of a safer and a kinder procedure. The headphones that I have programmed with the ideal music for surgery are available now and can be overnighted to you if you need them quickly. If you have financial constraints, let me know and I will work with you to be able to get them. One day, music and headphones will be available in hospitals around the world. Don’t wait!

By DrAlice|March 23, 2012|Anesthesia, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures, Rhythmic entrainment, Surgery Music|0 Comments

Can the surgeon and patient benefit from the same music?

I would say that this is a moderately controversial subject. Here’s why: if the patient and surgeon are both going to benefit from music being played in the operating room, then the music will have to be delivered ambiently to the doctor and through headphones to the patient. Why? Because the surgeon needs to hear more lively and energizing music, while the patient needs to hear calming and soothing music that will keep them relaxed and keep their blood pressure, heartrate and breathing slow and steady.

Luckily, this is quite possible! Less than a year ago I was invited to do a Grand Rounds presentationat the Cleveland Clinic Florida on the use of music as an adjunct to anesthesia. Most of the studies we looked at talked about music in the OR being played through speakers on the wall or an iPod being played through speakers. Although this usually benefits the OR staff, it does nothing for the well-being of the patient and completely disregards the concept of rhythmic entrainment.

The more recent studies look at the benefits of patients listening to their own favorite music through headphones. Now this has been taken a step further: wireless, cordless headphones are now available, pre-programmed with the ideal, slow, steady, soothing music that has been proven to slow down and keep steady the heartbeat and breathing. Rhythmic entrainment is a phenomenon that has been acknowledged for over three hundred years! It is this phenomenon that causes us to clap our hands, snap our fingers, or get up and dance spontaneously when favorite music comes on! The reverse is also true, therefore, when a patient arrives at the hospital to have surgery, popping on some cordless headphones, pre-programmed with calm, slow, steady and soothing music, is an ideal way to begin the sedation process. Oftentimes, less medication will be required as a direct result of this musical intervention.

If surgery is in your future, please consider your alternatives. Feel free to contact me directly if I can help you!

By DrAlice|February 28, 2012|Characteristics of music for surgery, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, How music works|1 Comment

Which hospitals in the U.S. are using the Surgical Serenity Headphones?

This is a question that I get more and more these days. As people around the country and around the world, find out about our ready-to-go, pre-programmed surgical headphones, they want to know that the research is there and that nationally-known, reputable hospitals are already using them.

Well, good news! They are already being used at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and the Cleveland Clinic in both Ohio and Florida. Individuals have purchased them and used them here in Louisville, KY at Baptist Hospital East, Jewish Hospital and Norton Hospital downtown as well as Norton Suburban Hospital. They’ve been used at hospitals in New York City, Greenville, S.C., Spartanburg, S.C., Birmingham, AL, Houston, TX, San Francisco, CA and in Canada, Hawaii and London.

Several patients were afraid that they would not be able to wear them into surgery, but only two people nationwide were told that they could not take them into surgery. These patients both concluded simply that it had not been done before and that the surgeon or anesthesiologist did not want to try it. No medical or safety precaution could be cited.

To date, all patients who actually used the music before, during, and after their surgery have reported that they will never have surgery again without using their headphones and music. Patients have said that they drift off to sleep feeling as though they’re at the beach, listening to favorite music through headphones and totally forget that they’re in a hospital about to have surgery. Needless to say, when patients are not tensed up and rigid with fear and anticipation, the procedure goes better: less anxiety meds, less anesthesia, less pain medicaltion = faster and safer procedure and recovery! Who could argue with that?

By DrAlice|January 16, 2012|Anesthesia, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Music and Anesthesia, Music in the hospital, Music in the hospitals, which hospitals use music headphones|1 Comment

Fear of Anesthesia: How Can the Right Music Help?

: Waiting for a Ceasarean-section childbirth

As a therapist and a clinical musicologist, I talk to people nearly every day that have just been told that they need to have surgery and are almost more fearful of the anesthesia than they are of having surgery! Why? Because general anesthesia is very powerful medication and occasionally people do not survive the anesthesia. The vast majority of people do fine, but if the patient is elderly or in a fragile health state already, it is a delicate balance.

How can music help? Music therapy and Operating Room nursing journals have shown repeatedly shown that listening to your favorite calming, comforting, soothing music can make a very positive difference in your overall surgical experience. There are also dozens, if not hundreds, of clinical studies showing that music in the recovery area can help the patient stay calm and comfortable as they regain consciousness and begin to feel the pain of the surgery.

Now, studies are being conducted to confirm that music DURING surgery can also make a positive difference and possibly decrease the amount of anesthesia needed to achieve the same degree of sedation, but without as much risk. This is achieved by tapping into the power of rhythmic entrainment, by which the slow, steady tempo of the music brings the heartrate and the breathing into synchronization with the music and thereby keeps the body relaxed.

To learn more about the incredible power and benefits of music during anesthesia and surgery, please check out: www.SurgicalHeadphones.com.

By DrAlice|January 15, 2012|Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures, Music and Anesthesia, Music and Propofol, Music in the hospitals, Rhythmic entrainment, Surgical Headphones reviews|1 Comment