Research has shown that 30 to 60 minutes of music a day can lower levels of pain and of blood pressure. It has also been found to improve respiration rates
The sound of piano music coming from the operating theatre was the first clue that something unusual was afoot. As the theatre doors swung open and the trolley was wheeled in, the patient was greeted by a smiling surgeon sitting at a piano playing “The More I See You”.
As the surgeon played on, with random extracts from other piano works, the patient was sedated and prepared for surgery. With the patient and theatre team ready, the music finally stopped, and the surgeon stood up and began his day job.
The experiment in Hawaii, a world first, was testing whether music has an effect on health, pain and vital signs, such as blood pressure and heart and breathing rates, as well as levels of hormones and antibodies.
It may serve the doctor well to do a survey of the patient before just playing any music. What may be assumed to be a sweet comforting song could be related to tragedy for the patient. The patient could have walked in on their mate participating in an intimate act with another while that song was playing. The song could have been the favorite of a deceased loved one that they feel depressed every time they hear it. Knowledge is “Power Over Feelings.”
Oh I absolutely agree with you Tony. I am mostly choosing music that is not well-known for this very reason. Eventually I’d like to have at least 6-8 different genres of music that all fits my definition of ideal music for surgery, but it will be music largely unfamiliar to the general public for that very reason! Thanks for your comment!