Listening to music during surgery ‘can reduce pain and anxiety’

Listening to music before, during and after surgery can be a good way of reducing people's pain, anxiety and need for painkillers.

Led by Queen Mary University of London, the team analysed the results of 73 randomised controlled trials to examine the impact of music on postoperative recovery, compared with standard care or other non-medical interventions, such as massage.

Looking at data for nearly 7,000 patients, the findings confirmed a link between the use of music in the operating theatre and a significant reduction in postoperative pain, postoperative anxiety and the need for pain relief medication.

Choice of music, timing and duration varied, but these factors made little difference to the outcome. Music was shown to be effective even when patients were under general anaesthetic.

Jenny Hole, co-author and medical student at Queen Mary University of London, said: "Patients should be able to choose the type of music, and timing and delivery may be adapted to different settings depending on the medical requirements and teams involved."

By contrast, a recent study from Imperial College London indicated that some operating theatre teams are negatively affected by background music during surgery.