Scientists: Music makes surgery patients feel better

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Depends on the music. I would imagine if they made seniors listen to death metal, the results might vary.

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I agree…as I sit hear listening to The Hellacopters cover of Gimme Shelter really loud.

Thank you science, for bringing your expensive labcoat of approval to bear on another easily observed phenomenon. Honestly, somebody got paid to find out that music makes people feel good. Well, no sh1t Sherlock. Can’t wait for the Neil DeGrasse Tyson documentary on this one. So sciency!

That’s brutal.

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What budget and integration issues? The cost of an iPod? Hospital-grade ⅛” patch cable? I don’t think anyone’s proposing a live string quartet (or harpist) in the OR. Some surgeons already put on music for their own benefit while operating. Just keep doing that.

I’d expect the degree of control to be important. Having some choice–including an off button–reduces anxiety. Being made to listen to anything induces stress, in my experience, and lack of choice is unobjectionable only when you can walk out.

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It may seem obvious to people commenting, but nobody seemed to be aware of it or care when I was in hospital recently.

I had major surgery (hip replacement), and the post-op pain was pretty bad. I had vomited up the painkillers but the nursing staff refused to give me any more until the next meds round (in the morning, about 7 hours hence). Having a range of music on my phone and being able to listen to it through headphones helped me to drift away from the pain enough to get some rest, but when I mentioned this to medical staff later they took no interest.

Nobody else that I saw on the ward seemed to be listening to music. When my phone batteries ran out and I asked about listening to the hospital radio none of the nurses could help me (needed some special headphone jack, nobody had the time to find them). I think if the findings of this study are brought to the attention of medical staff so they understand that they can help immobilised patients to ease their discomfort that can only be a good thing.

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I’m surprised this has just come up. I’m a physician, have been for the past 25 years, and I don’t think I have ever been in an OR where there hasn’t been a radio, CD, iPod, iPhone, etc. playing music. All kinds of music, from classical to tropical, from hip/hop to bachata, pop to mariachi. Surgery would be kinda boring and lack a certain rhythm to it without music,

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