Listening to music could significantly enhance recovery after surgery.
This is according to a study at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2024 in San Francisco.
Researchers from California Northstate University College of Medicine, US, conducted a comprehensive review of 3,736 studies, narrowing their focus to 35 research papers examining music’s impact on surgical patients.
These studies evaluated key recovery outcomes such as pain, anxiety, heart rate, and opioid use.
The results suggest that music can offer tangible benefits during recovery, regardless of geographic or cultural background.
Patients who listened to music reported significantly lower pain levels the day after surgery. Using two validated scales, the Numeric Rating Scale and the Visual Analog Scale, pain levels dropped by approximately 19% and 7%, respectively.
Anxiety scores, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, showed an average reduction of 3%, indicating that music may help alleviate post-surgery anxiety globally, regardless of the healthcare system or cultural context.
The study also revealed that patients who listened to music required substantially less pain medication. On average, they used less than half the amount of morphine compared to those who didn’t listen to music on the first day after surgery.
Additionally, patients who incorporated music into their recovery had a lower heart rate, averaging 4.5 fewer beats per minute. This is a significant finding, as maintaining a healthy heart rate post-surgery can support better circulation, which is essential for healing.
Dr Eldo Frezza, senior author and a professor of surgery at California Northstate University, explained that music helps ease the problematic transition patients often experience after waking from anaesthesia.
‘Music can reduce some patients’ stress and disorientation when they wake up after surgery, potentially improving their overall recovery experience.’
Unlike active therapies such as physical rehabilitation or meditation, listening to music requires minimal effort and can be easily introduced into post-operative care routines.
Shehzaib Raees, the study’s first author, said: ‘Music offers a passive form of therapy that patients can begin immediately without additional cost or physical exertion.’
Researchers believe music may help reduce cortisol levels, a stress hormone, facilitating smoother recovery. Though some variables, like the duration of music exposure, were not fully controlled in the analysis, the team plans to further investigate how music might be integrated into surgical and intensive care settings worldwide.
As for the choice of music? ‘The type of music doesn’t seem to matter,’ Dr Frezza said. ‘We encourage patients to listen to what they enjoy, as it may provide comfort and familiarity during a challenging time.’
