Music During Surgery
Hearing relaxing music and encouraging words while under anesthesia may ease patients' recovery after surgery.
According to Swedish researchers, women undergoing hysterectomies who listened to such music and sounds of ocean waves while under general anesthesia experienced less pain, were less fatigued when released from the hospital, and were able to sit up sooner after their operation than patients who did not listen to music.
Even though people are unconscious when under general anesthesia, research suggests that the brain may be more aware of what happens during surgery than previously thought. Because of this so-called intra-operative awareness, patients may overhear the remarks of doctors and nurses, which could lead to anxiety and dissatisfaction after surgery.
To protect patients from inappropriate or misinterpreted comments overheard during surgery, "taped soothing music or music in combination with therapeutic suggestions could be provided to all patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia," researchers said.
Their findings was published in the December issue of the journal Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica.
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Khorsheed.com - Jan 2002
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