Anesthesiologist adds SSS app while waiting to go into operating room!
Yesterday I was at a local outpatient hospital with a friend who was getting a colonoscopy. The anesthesiologist stopped by her cubicle for just a brief conversation about the procedure and what anesthesia they would use.
She had already told the surgeon that she wanted to listen to our special music through her phone app but was told that it would be up to the anesthesiologist.
When the anesthesiologist arrived he was very open to the idea and was aware that there is more and more research documenting the benefits of therapeutic music as an adjunct to anesthesia. I explained to him that Surgical Serenity Solutions has a free app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store that can be downloaded in minutes.
Once the app is downloaded the patient-or anesthesiologist in this case- can choose one of five playlists and purchase it for $9.99. The anesthesiologist did this on the spot and said that he though this would be so much better than just playing Spotify on speakers in the OR.
My friend had her colonoscopy and the earbuds were still in her ears and Jazz playlists playing when they brought her back to recovery after the procedure. She remained asleep for another 10 minutes or so but the music was still playing and she looked very peaceful.
Finally the nurse came in, called her name and she woke up with a smile on her face, asking if it’s over. Nobody really wants a colonoscopy but it’s a valuable procedure that can give you an early alert if you have colon cancer. Hopefully my friend is fine thought they did find a polyp that was removed during the procedure.
The anesthesiologist stopped by once more and said that he was so glad to know that this existed and that he planned to let all of his colleagues know about this and encourage them to get it.
The great thing is, hospitals can have this waiting for each patient in the OR by licensing all 5 playlists and giving the patients a choice when they arrive at the hospital that morning. Hospitals can provide high quality bluetooth headphones and use disposable earpiece covers.
OR, if hospital doesn’t want to offer this, they can tell patient about the playlists at their final pre-surgery visit and allow the patient to bring their own Iphone into surgery with the playlist already on the phone, ready to go!
To learn more, go to www.surgicalserenitysolutions.com/calm.
Are you a healthcare facility, or are you affiliated with a healthcare facility? Does your healthcare facility play music for its patients as part of surgery, MRI, or other procedures? Are you currently using a Pandora, Spotify, or Apple Family Sharing account? If so, STOP! You are subject to large fines, UNLESS you purchase a healthcare license from ASCAP or BMI.
Around 2018-19, just before Covid hit, Surgical Serenity Solutions started marketing primarily to hospitals and in the course of making that switch, I learned that ASCAP, the national organization that licenses all music, had decided to create a healthcare license that hospitals could purchase for a nominal fee in order to create their own playlists to offer patients. As of January 1, 2019 hospitals were required to purchase a healthcare license in order to use Pandora, Spotify or Apple Family Sharing.

Understanding why music for surgery is different from other uses
Surgery is a different process and requires a different approach. Very few operating rooms would allow a music therapist in the room while a patient is being put to sleep, operated on, or slowly brought back to consciousness. This is where Surgical Serenity Solutions comes in. Our music has been specifically curated and sequenced to go through the surgical process, the perioperative period, with the patient. Our music has been curated to engage rhythmic entrainment from the moment the patient begins listening through headphones or earbuds. If you are interested in know more about this or are ready to order for your hospital or clinic, just go to www.surgicalserenitysolutions.com/contact-us.
Veteran’s Day and the importance of music
Ten years later, in 2024, Surgical Serenity Solutions has gotten into Veterans Hospitals around the country. We now have 5 distinct playlists and 4 paths to provide our music to hospitals, surgery centers, birthing centers, chemotherapy, dialysis centers and pain clinics. Our playlists include Classical, Jazz, New Age, Lullabies, and Memory Care.

Research in peri
Surgical 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:
Music therapists have a Bachelors or Masters in music therapy and are board-certified by their peers. They work in hospitals and clinics and sometimes they work in private practice. Music therapists traditionally work one-on-one with patients but occasionally do group therapy.
Getting buy-in from physicians is crucial but we must also get that buy-in from the patients who use them and feel that they make a great difference:
In the last year, I have been invited to be on 7 difference podcasts, so I know that people are buzzing and it is very exciting!!
Does YOUR hospital use the Surgical Serenity Solutions headphones or MP3 players yet? If not, I strongly recommend getting them for your patients. The proof is there, social as well as empirical medical data. Just click on the link below to purchase either the headphones or the MP3 players! Your patients will thank you!
www.SurgicalSerenitySolutions.com/hospitalheadphones
www.SurgicalSerenitySolutions.com/MP3players