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Research in Perioperative Music Medicine

Dr. Cash delivering a lecture at International Music Medicine conferenceResearch in perioperative music medicine, or PMM, is increasing daily. Over the last 15 years I’ve seen studies emerge on the use of Music Medicine, through pre-loaded headphones, in fields as diverse as Oncology, Transplant surgery, Alzheimer’s treatment, pediatric cardiology and burn units. There is no question that the right music has the ability to calm and soothe an anxious patient as well as anxiety medication and without the risk of dependence or addiction to these medications.

As more and more scientific studies come out, my scope of education of medical professionals widens too.

Yesterday was one of those exciting days for me. For years, music was not considered seriously because scientists hadn’t figured out how to measure the ways in which it was administered or measure how much it helped and how exactly it helped. They knew that it made the patient feel better, but they didn’t understand exactly why.

So when I went to work at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1990, I was told that there were literally hundreds if not thousands of years of anecdotal reports about the healing powers of music, but very few empiracle studies. My job was to change that! There are so many anecdotal reports about how specific music, through headphones, for the patient, has made a huge difference in the patient’s recovery as a result of the patient going into surgery more relaxed and calm.

An anecdotal report from a patient’s mother

music through headphones during hip replacement surgery

Patient awakening from surgery using the surgical serenity headphones

 “My son’s surgery was yesterday.  He wore the headset for two hours before surgery and during the procedure.  Unlike his last surgery,        all went well.  Many people were involved to ensure he reacted well to the anesthesia and other medicines provided.  They were very            happy to let him use the headphones in the operating room.  He went into surgery thinking the headset would be helpful in keeping him        calm and needing less anesthesia, and he did remain calm after coming around post-op.  We believe your music was integral to his good      experience. Many thanks! “  Faith Nguyen,Mother.

     
Recently, this study was published in a journal called “Frontiers in Medicine.” To me, this signifies that it reports on cutting edge procedures and treatments. Here is just a short excerpt of this study”

“Clinical Benefits of Perioperative Music Medicine”

“Surgery is an “indivisible, indispensable part of health care” around the world (12) but it causes significant physiologic stress (34). Neural (autonomic) and humoral (circulating or hormonal) mechanisms primarily involve the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) adrenergic and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) cholinergic branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Current perioperative interventions used to attenuate these stress responses are primarily pharmacologic (anesthetic and analgesic medications) that are associated with a variety of complications (5). The current epidemic of opioid overuse in the United States is fueled in part by excessive perioperative prescriptions around both minor and major surgery (67). Non-pharmacologic interventions that complement and integrate with pharmacologic interventions in the perioperative setting are thus of critical importance to both decrease psychophysiological stress and decrease opioid use. Perioperative Music Medicine (PMM), defined as listening to pre-recorded music around surgery (8), is an efficacious, safe, and low-cost non-pharmacologic intervention that can be delivered at the point-of-care and reduce opioid use (911).”

To read the entire article, click on the link below,

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.821022/full

At the end of 2024, where we are now, I believe that serious medical and surgical professionals believe that music for the surgical patient is a good idea, but if they have any doubts, this study, along with this large meta-analysis that was published in the highly-esteemed British medical journal “The Lancet” would surely convince them. Click here to read the Lancet meta-analysis. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60169-6/abstract?code=lancet-site

 What Surgical Serenity Solutions offers to hospitals

Surgical Serenity Solutions delivery of therapeutic music optionsSurgical Serenity Solutions offers therapeutic music playlists in 5 distinct genres. This music has been curated by a clinical musicologist and undergone 3 clinical studies, all of which deemed it powerful at decreasing anxiety and pain perception. The music in available in 4 different formats:

Pre-loaded headphones

Pre-loaded MP3 players

App stores on iPhone or Android

Licensing within hospital departments

For more information, go to www.SurgicalSerenitySolutions.com/contact-us

 

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