Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia Archives - Page 5 of 9

Surgical Serenity Headphones: Wireless or Cordless?

When people contact me about helping them use music during surgery, my first recommendation is always the pre-programmed, cordless headphones I have created. When I first had the idea to create cordless, pre-programmed headphones, back in 2005, the term “wireless” was not nearly as associated with “wireless network” as it is now.

My intention was to have headphones that were entirely “self-contained” and not dependent on being tethered to an iPod or any other transmittal device. I just figured that it would be one less thing for surgeons and anesthesiologists to worry about getting tangled up with their equipment!

I called them “wireless” at that time, but now I think it is important to confirm that they are indeed “cordless” but are not what today we call “wireless.” This is quite an important differentiation too, because transmitting a signal in the OR would involve FCC communication and just throw another stumbling block up to people and hospitals that are contemplating using them in the OR.

Please let me know what your questions might be! We certainly are hearing from hundreds of satisfied customers around the world about their effectiveness in calming the patient before surgery, and reassuring them when they wake up in surgery with beautiful music still playing!

By DrAlice|October 9, 2011|Anesthesia, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures|1 Comment

Preparing for anesthesia during surgery

Recently, the Chicago Tribune posted an interesting article about people who are quite fearful of anesthesia during surgery. They don’t mention the use of music, but of course that is one of the most helpful ways to calm yourself and require less anestheisa.

“For many patients, anesthesia is the scariest part of surgery. But you can ease your fears — and help prevent the rare negative outcome — with awareness and good communication with doctors, says Dr. Paul Rein of Virginia Anesthesia VAPCS in southeastern Virginia.

•Don’t panic. The chances of dying in a car crash are about 40 times greater than from an anesthetic, Rein says. “The reality is anesthesia has become very safe because of better techniques, better monitoring and better practitioners,” he says.

•Don’t cheat on “no food or drink” orders. As a rule, patients should have nothing for eight hours before surgery — even gum. If you vomit while under anesthesia, the contents can get into your lungs, which can be dangerous.

•Know your medical history. Tell your doctor the specific names and doses of all drugs you take, as well as past surgeries. If you’ve had problems with anesthesia before — including nausea — speak up. Also pass along any known family history of complications.

•Stop taking herbal medications. Doctors generally advise avoiding these products for two weeks before an operation, as they can cause increased bleeding.

•Ask questions. Meet with your anesthesiologist and get all the answers you need before heading into the operating room. Learn about the type of drugs you will get; you may have a choice between general or regional anesthesia.

•Arrange for a caregiver. A responsible adult should drive you home and stay with you the day of an outpatient surgery, even after minor operations. Don’t take a taxi or get dropped off at home alone; on top of recovering from surgery, you’ll likely feel the effects of anesthetic drugs for several hours

By DrAlice|August 18, 2011|Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia|1 Comment

Surgery with Music Series Post #30: A Recap of why music is so important for your surgery

If you’ve been reading this 30-day series of posts of music with surgery, and you’re still not convinced of music’s power during surgery, I just don’t know what to tell you. People all over the world, both patients and medical staff including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists and techs of all kinds are recommending the use of music before, during and after surgery. There are absolutely no drawbacks or side-effects and so many benefits that the choice is clear.

If you have the ability to make your own playlist, that’s great! If you have enough lead time to do it, I think it’s a great idea. I did it for myself back in 1994 when I had a lumbar laminectomy. The doctors were astounded at how well everything went and how quickly I recovered. I did it for my mother’s heart bypass in the early 90’s and after quite a bit of skepticism initially, she had such a positive experience that she said she would never again have surgery without music and headphones.

I have been helping patients to use music during their surgery since late 1990 when I began reading about the work of well-known music therapist, Helen Bonny. I would usually mention her work when I went out speaking at hospitals and universities and associations. Invariably, someone would say “Dr. Cash, I don’t believe that many people at all know about this music and surgery idea. I think you should really try to get the word out!

After that, the rest is history. I have worked with thousands of patients around the world and in 2008 I got a patent on my Surgical Serenity Headphones. Although you can purchase them online at www.surgicalheadphones.com, my main goal is to get them into hospitals around the world so that they are ready to go when a patient arrives for surgery. They would be told about the process of wearing the headphones upon arrival at the hospital and would be issued a set of headphones that would then be theirs to keep, eliminating the risk of infection from previous users.

If you are associated with a full-service hospital, please check out the headphones and the documented benefits. Using the headphones can greatly reduce the amount of drugs and anesthesia required and create a calmer more peaceful atmosphere for the patient. As a result of less anesthesia, the patient will recover faster and get back to work sooner and with less trauma. Every doctor or nurse that I have ever talked to about these has said it is a great idea and that they will be standard equipment in all operating rooms one day! Please join me in making this dream come true.

By DrAlice|July 1, 2011|Anesthesia, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures, Music and Anesthesia, Music in the hospitals, Surgical Headphones reviews|1 Comment

Surgery with Music Series Post #26: What the news media says

Our series of 30 posts on Music with Surgery is rapidly drawing to an end. I thought that perhaps my readers would like to know what some of the major news media have to say about the whole idea. They tend to be critical of such new ideas, but take a look at today’s source: www.livescience.com

“A new study by the Yale School of Medicine confirms previous work showing that surgery patients listening to music require much less sedation.

Previous studies left open the question of whether it was music that did the trick, or just the act of blocking out the sound of dropped surgical instruments and other operating room noise.

In the new study, researchers tested 90 surgery patients at two facilities. Some wore headphones and listened to the music of their choice. Others heard white noise, that hiss and hum common to office buildings that’s designed to drown out harsh noises. Others had no headphones.

Blocking sounds with white noise did not decrease sedative requirements, the study found, music did.”

“Doctors and patients should both note that music can be used to supplement sedation in the operating room,” said study team member Zeev Kain, a Yale professor in the Department of Anesthesiology.

The results are detailed in the May issue of the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia.

By DrAlice|June 27, 2011|Anesthesia, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Recent Research on Surgery with Music|0 Comments

Surgery with Music Series Post #24: Surgery Headphones in the Hospital with Pacemaker Implantation

Surgery is by no means the only valuable use for Surgery Serenity Headphones. As a matter of fact, most any procedure that is done in a hospital or doctor’s office could help ease a patient’s anxiety, soothe their fears and decrease the amoung of anesthesia that might be needed.

One of the first patients that used the headphones in the hospital was a man who had a pacemaker implanted. Listen to his story and keep music in mind if you or anyone you know needs to have a pacemaker put in. Although the music is already pre-programmed into the headphones, you can easily put your on favorite music on these headphones if you wish!

By DrAlice|June 25, 2011|Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures, Music in the hospital|1 Comment

Surgery with Music Series Post #23: Entrainment in Surgery

Drs. Friedman and Cash at CCF

To put it as simply as possible, entrainment in surgery is all about synchronizing. The slow, steady tempo of the music entrains with the patient’s heartbeat and breathing. Mostly we hear about rhythmic entrainment and brainwave entrainment. When talking about music during surgery, both of the these types of entrainment are tapped. The power of this during surgery comes from the slow, steady pulse of the music coming through the headphones. In this instance, the synchronization begins when the patient can hear the music and feel the relaxation. As they go into deeper states of “sleep” the vibrations of the slow, steady music keep the heartbeat and breathing entrained or synchronized with the pulse of the music.

The more relaxed the body is during surgery, the less anxiety medication, pain medication and even less anesthesia is required. The less medication the patient requires, the safer the procedure will be and the faster the patient will recover. It’s so easy and so logical, that it has been overlooked for many, many decades. Now people are beginning to understand how entrainment works and tap into the power of musical entrainment.

Rhythmic entrainment is a core principle of music therapy. Many years ago I was introduced to the concepts of music therapy and began to realize that this was so powerful and yet so simple. It’s the same phenomenon that makes people clap their hands to music, or sway gently, tap their toes or fingers. When listening to many kinds of music, the urge to entrain is almost irresistible! For many years I thought about all of the many ways the power of rhythmic entrainment might be harnessed for medical benefits. When I finally decided to create a surgical playlist that would induce this phenomenon, I knew that I had come up with an idea that could really make a big contribution to health and healing.

Will you be next?

By DrAlice|June 24, 2011|Anesthesia, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, How music works, Rhythmic entrainment|0 Comments

Surgery with Music Series Post #21: Is there scientific research on benefits of music with surgery?

Another great question that was sent in by a reader. The short answer is “YES.” There is so much research on the use of music before and after surgery that I can not list all the studies here. You may remember that I spoke at the Cleveland Clinic Florida about recent research in music with surgery and there I had chosen the most recent 15 or so studies from over the past decade.

The highlights of this research can be found HERE. You will see that studies have been done not only at well-known institutions such as Yale University, but also from around the world. Most of the studies focus on music before and after surgery, but increasingly, research is now being conducted on music during surgery. Currently out surgery headphones are the focus of a medical study at the VA Hospital here in Louisville, KY and results should be available by the end of this year.

There are so many documented benefits of music surrounding surgery and other medical procedures. Do you want to take less anxiety medication before, less anesthesia during, and less pain medication afterwards? Do you want to recover faster and side-step the effects of so many medications? Do you want to avoid the “brain fog” that often hangs on for weeks and weeks after surgery? Then go HERE and order your surgery headphones!

By DrAlice|June 22, 2011|Anesthesia, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures, Surgery Music|0 Comments

Surgery with Music Series Post #17: What music should you listen to during surgery?

When you’re about to have surgery, you really don’t have time to think about much else except preparing yourself for that process and the potential outcomes, good or bad. The only possible exception to that might be cosmetic surgery where you have plenty of lead time and you feel sure that the outcome will be better that what you’re living with right now.

That’s why I think it’s nice to be able to have the music already pre-programmed on the cordless headphones. Also, to know that the music has been chosen by an expert in music for surgery, so that the tempo, melodies, and character of the music is the ideal for surgery.

What about the genre of music? What about classical, jazz, pop, sacred, world music, or just easy listening? I believe that any genre of music can be healing and can be soothing and comforting in the way that you want for surgery. The fact is though, if you’re having general anesthesia, you won’t even hear the music once you’re completely under the anesthesia.

So why have music playing while you’re under general anesthesia? Good question! And here is the answer: the music that has been chosen for your surgery has a very slow, steady pulse that will entrain or synchronize your heart-beat and breathing with the tempo of the music. This is done vibrationally and makes headphones the ideal way to transmit the vibrations through the 8th cranial nerve in the ear to the brain and throughout the entire body.

One of the guiding principles of music therapy is that the patient should have the music of their choice, but this is not traditional music therapy because no music therapy is present. The music has already been chosen and the genre right now is classical. Eventually we will have jazz, folk, sacred and other genres available but people who don’t typically listen to classical music have listened to this soundtrack and said that it relaxed them quickly and totally.

It’s all about a safer surgery procedure and a faster recovery. Check them out at www.surgicalheadphones.com

By DrAlice|June 18, 2011|Anesthesia, Characteristics of music for surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures, Music|0 Comments

Surgery with Music Series Post #15: Talking with your Surgeon about Using Music

Today many surgeons and anesthesiologists are aware of the benefits of music before, during and after the surgical procedure. But occasionally, a patient comes to me or calls me saying that their surgeon doesn’t like the idea? Why? Usually because the surgeon has not read all of the latest research on the the many benefits that music brings to the situation. Some surgeons don’t understand the concept of entrainment, whereby the vibration of the music causes your heart and breathing to slow down and synchronize with the music. Even after your ears cease to hear the music through the headphones, the vibrations of this music cause your inner rhythms of heartbeat and music to synchronize with that tempo and all with the mood of the music which is peaceful and serene. For that reason, it really doesn’t even matter if you like classical music or not because when you are deeply “asleep” under the anesthesia, you won’t even hear the music as music!

I’ve actually written a free report entitled “How to Talk with Your Doctor About Using Music with your Surgery.” Just click on this link to get it for free! Don’t miss out on this important step of the process!

By DrAlice|June 15, 2011|Anesthesia, Characteristics of music for surgery, Common Fears in Surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, Headphones for other medical procedures, How music works, Surgery Music|2 Comments

Surgery with Music Series Post #14: Music with Dental Anesthesia

Music with Dental Anesthesia

Just yesterday we talked about the use of novocaine in dentistry. Today we’ll take a look at the other main anesthesia used in dentistry: Nitrous Oxide or “laughing gas.” My main concern would be not whether or not it’s effective because I’ve had it and I know that it does work. What you want to know is what the dangers or side-effects might be. Here is some good information that I found on a site called “Just Say N2O”

“N₂O, or Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a weak anaesthetic (painkilling) gas that was first synthesised in 1775 by Joseph Priestley. Of the three early anaesthetics discovered (chloroform, ether and nitrous oxide) it is the only one still in regular use. While insufficiently strong for surgery, it was ideal for the lesser pain of dentistry. Unfortunately, it became popular as a scientific demonstration for public edification (and entertainment). The public entertainment aspect reduced its respectability and although it was first used in dentistry in 1844, it was not until the 1860s that it became more commonly used. Many famous people are recorded as having tried nitrous oxide.

What Is Nitrous Used For?

Common uses of nitrous oxide include surgical, food service and recreational purposes. Many people have experienced nitrous as an anaesthetic for dental surgery. Nitrous oxide chargers are also used to make whipped cream. The dairy industry uses nitrous as a mixing and foaming agent as it is non-flammable, bacteriostatic (stops bacteria from growing) and leaves no taste or odour. Nitrous is sometimes used in auto racing to speed combustion. Nitrous is even used in diving to prepare divers for the nitrous-like effects of nitrogen narcosis. It is also a greenhouse gas emitted by fertilizer and implicated in global warming.

Is Nitrous Illegal?

Given its myriad uses, it is not illegal to sell or possess nitrous. However, in the State of California the possession of N2O with intent to inhale is a misdemeanor: this is probably true of most states. One internet merchant was sentenced to 15 months in prison for selling nitrous with devices intended to facilitate its inhalation. The following is taken from the CA penal code:

381b.  Any person who possesses nitrous oxide or any substance
containing nitrous oxide, with the intent to breathe, inhale, or
ingest for the purpose of causing a condition of intoxication,
elation, euphoria, dizziness, stupefaction, or dulling of the senses
or for the purpose of, in any manner, changing, distorting, or
disturbing the audio, visual, or mental processes, or who knowingly
and with the intent to do so is under the influence of nitrous oxide
or any material containing nitrous oxide is guilty of a misdemeanor.
This section shall not apply to any person who is under the
influence of nitrous oxide or any material containing nitrous oxide
pursuant to an administration for the purpose of medical, surgical,
or dental care by a person duly licensed to administer such an agent.

You should check your State’s Laws. When purchasing nitrous you implicitly agree to abide by the laws governing its use: the same as with gasoline, marker pens, white out, spray paint, ant poison, fabric softener, etc, etc, etc.

What Does Nitrous Do?

Physiological effects last a minute or two for a lungful of nitrous and then mainly dissipate. Some residual effects may last up to several minutes later. Unlike other drugs, the effects of nitrous very rapidly recede. As noted in 1845, “Those who inhale the Gas once, are always anxious to inhale it the second time.” When inhaled, nitrous produces a variety of physical effects including:

Disorientation (both spatial and time-based)
Fixated vision
Throbbing or pulsating auditory hallucinations
Similarly pulsating visual hallucinations
Increased pain threshold
Deeper mental connections
Lowered vocal pitch (opposite of helium)

What Are The Dangers?

The most common dangers from nitrous are due to its disorienting effects and the silliness that surrounds something called laughing gas. Tripping, falling or tipping over in a chair are very common. In one recorded case this caused death. The main cause of death from nitrous seems to be asphyxiation from a bag over the head. Frost bite from the very cold gas is also a concern, especially if dispensing when still disoriented.

Use common sense to avoid most problems.

Because nitrous permeates the lipid (fatty) membranes of your body, it can outgas into your gut or middle ear causing an ache. Cronic heavy usage has very unpleasant effects that could be permanent. Read more detailed dangers of nitrous use.

What Does Nitrous Feel Like?

After several deep breaths of air, I inhale nearly a lungful of nitrous and pull some air down on top and then hold my breath. Within seconds, a light tingling can be felt which seems to increase in frequency. The sensation is much as if waves were traveling up your body or as if you were twisting or spinning. Disorientation increases rapidly and the pulsing sounds/feelings increase, wrapping over one another. It is now, with eyes shut, that I enter a dreamlike state, where I am thinking out something and the external world has essentially ceased to exist. The urge to breathe takes over at some point and partial or whole breaths taken. Open eyes reveal some sort of tunnel vision, with regions of disorientation about the outside. Slowly the throbbing subsides. At other times I experience a sense of paranoia mixed with disorientation. I have a deep conviction while under the influence that all things are cycling together, that there is some deeper cyclical event occuring. It is as an experience of deja vu continually occuring. The feeling is profound and not altogether pleasant.

So how can music make a difference? Well, what I have found after 25 years as a therapist dealing with addictions, any substance that makes a person feel better or puts them in an altered state, is subject to abuse. I don’t think that nitrous oxide is not one of the top drugs to abuse, but it is true that dentists and anesthesiologists do sometimes become addicted because of easy access and a tendency to chemical addictions:

Abuse in the Medical and Dental Fields

There have also been cases of nitrous oxide abuse among healthcare professionals. Dentists and anesthesiologistsMedical doctors trained to use medications to sedate a surgery patient. with easy access to the drug seem to be at a higher risk than the general public of developing nitrous-related dependence problems. Dependence is the belief that a person needs to take a certain substance in order to function.

Substance abuse is also especially high among healthcare professionals who administer anesthesia in a hospital setting. According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), about 15 percent of anesthesia providers are substance abusers. “Nurse anesthetists are dying … from accidental overdose or from suicide,” reported Carlos “Rusty” Ratliff in “Anesthetists in Recovery: Chemical Dependency in the Profession.” Like dentists, certified registered nurse anesthetists have large supplies of nitrous oxide readily available to them. Consequently, nitrous oxide is one of the drugs these professionals may end up abusing.

Dental Highs

In an article posted on the American Dental Association (ADA) Web site titled “Escaping Addiction: The Door to Freedom,” Dr. Thomas L. Haynes discusses the topic of addiction among dentists. “The access to large amounts of nitrous oxide,” noted Haynes, along with the stress and isolation of the profession, increases the risk of abuse. “Many a dentist has been found lifeless in the office,” he continued, “the N₂O mask still strapped to the face.”

“Chemical Dependence in Anesthesiologists,” a document developed by the ASA TaskForce on Chemical Dependence, addresses the problem of drug abuse among anesthesiologists. Although addicted medical doctors typically become hooked on opioidsA substance created in a laboratory to mimic the effects of naturally occurring opiates such as heroin and morphine. such as fentanyl, nitrous oxide was mentioned by the ASA as another potential drug of abuse. (An entry on fentanyl is available in this encyclopedia.)

The main use of music here is to decrease the amount of nitrous oxide needed for something like a root canal or an extraction. If you can use mainly your favorite calming music and no other anesthetic, that is ideal! Good luck!

By DrAlice|June 15, 2011|Anesthesia, Characteristics of music for surgery, Dangers and Side-effects of anesthesia, How music works, Music and Anesthesia|0 Comments