Effects of music therapy under general anesthesia in patients undergoing abdominal surgery

Abstract

Background: Music therapy, an innovative approach that has proven effectiveness in many medical conditions, seems beneficial also in managing surgical patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate its effects, under general anesthesia, on perioperative patient satisfaction, stress, pain, and awareness. Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind study conducted in the operating theatre of visceral surgery at Sahloul Teaching Hospital over a period of 4 months. Patients aged more than 18 undergoing a scheduled surgery under general anesthesia were included. Patients undergoing urgent surgery or presenting hearing or cognitive disorders were excluded. Before induction, patients wore headphones linked to an MP3 player. They were randomly allocated into 2 groups: Group M (with music during surgery) and group C (without music). Hemodynamic parameters, quality of arousal, pain experienced, patient’s satisfaction, and awareness incidence during anesthesia were recorded. Results: One hundred and forty patients were included and allocated into 2 groups that were comparable in demographic characteristics, surgical intervention type and anesthesia duration. Comparison of these two groups regarding the hemodynamic profile found more stability in group M for systolic arterial blood pressure. A calm recovery was more often noted in group M (77.1% versus 44%, p < 10–3). The average Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score was lower in the intervention group (33.8 ± 13.63 versus 45.1 ± 16.2; p < 10–3). The satisfaction rate was significantly higher among the experimental group (81.4% versus 51.4%; p < 10–3). The incidence of intraoperative awareness was higher in group C (8 cases versus 3 cases) but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Music therapy is a non-pharmacological, inexpensive, and non-invasive technique that can significantly enhance patient satisfaction and decrease patients’ embarrassing experiences related to perioperative stress, pain, and awareness.

The Effect of Music Listened to During the Recovery Period After Day Surgery on the Anxiety State and Vital Signs of Children and Adolescents

“…Studies in the literature detected positive effects of music on anxiety and vital signs (17,20,23). It has been shown that listening to relaxing, calming music positively affects the pulse rate in the studies mentioned in the literature (1,10,13,17,20,(23)(24)(25). In our study, it has been found that the pre-operative heart rate of the experimental group was higher than the control group.…”

“…According to the result of the research, music has no effect on the patients' fever rate. In the studies performed, it was stated that the experimental group's diastolic and systolic blood pressure was lower than the control group (1,10,20,21,(24)(25)(26). However, Sabzevari et al (23) found that the systolic blood pressure was lower in the group in which the music was listened to, but the diastolic blood pressure was not different.…”

“…Studies which examined the effect of music listened to by children in the preoperative period revealed that their level of anxiety decreased (1,4,15,22). In the literature, it is stated that the vital signs and anxiety levels of patients who listened to music in the post-operative period were lower than the control group (1,10,13,17,20,(23)(24)(25)(26). At present, music is used in palliative care for therapeutic purposes, surgical operations, pediatric departments, intensive care units, departments of psychiatry, oncology, obstetrics and gynecology, coronary care, radiotherapy and chemotherapy procedures to treat some symptoms such as pain and anxiety (6,10,18).…”

Effects of Music Therapy During Total Knee Arthroplasty Under Spinal Anesthesia: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

“…Music medicine as a non-pharmacologic intervention has demonstrated benefits in awake surgical procedures concerning anxiety and blood pressure [14]. Patients under general anesthesia also benefited from improved pain scores and patient satisfaction [15]. Music therapy can be a cost-effective and low-risk intervention to decrease the stress response to surgery and improve patient experience and satisfaction during total knee arthroplasty [16].…”

Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Otolaryngologic Perioperative Care

“…The use of music as a healing tool dates back thousands of years. 38 The method relies on the relaxing properties of music to help repair, maintain, and improve the physiology and psychology of the individual's mind. Conrad et al conducted a randomized study to identify the mechanisms of music-induced relaxation and found that a musical intervention caused an increase in the concentration of plasma growth hormone and a decrease in interleukin-6 and epinephrine.…”