How can classical music affect a surgeon’s performance?
Do Bach’s and Mozart’s classical music really improve doctors’ performance while doing surgery? According to recent research, surgeons would be able to perform faster and more accurately if they played classical music (but not too loud) during the surgery. If you’re curious as to how this happens, read on.
Classical Music Reduces Stress Levels
The research was published in the International Journal of Surgery and composed of researchers from Finland, Sweden, and Scotland. The aim of this paper is to review existing data from different articles.
A total of 212 doctors and nurses were included in the nine articles, after over 18 international studies were evaluated. About two-thirds of operating theaters, where most doctors and nurses are in, are already practicing listening to classical music during the operation.
In the study, the participants mentioned that after listening to classical music, they were able to feel more relaxed and less stressed while operating. Music also helped patients reduce their levels of stress before their surgery began.
Classical Music May Have a Mixed Effect
Most of the participants liked classical music with low to medium levels of volume. They actually preferred Mozart’s piano sonatas out of all the six studies where classical music was played. The next musical genre is hip hop.
The researcher took note that whatever music it’ll be, based on the review, it offers a mixed effect on individuals. For instance, instead of feeling more relaxed, a person may feel distracted, affecting the overall communication and performance of individuals in the surgical team.
However, the bottom line is that music can affect the performance of the participants, like the accuracy and handling of surgical instruments and other surgical interventions.
Classical Music Decreases Fatigue
There was one study that said playing music while doing the operation can decrease muscle fatigue. The study mentioned the Mozart effect, which says that stress is reduced and doctors are able to focus more due to playing classical music. However, this Mozart effect still needs to be proven.
According to the paper, the Mozart effect significantly caused a 10 percent increase in how fast the surgical procedures were completed and even a higher rate of the quality of work, such as skin repairs.
It was also found that the patients undergoing surgery needed fewer painkillers and anesthetics.
Loud Classical Music Can Increase Postoperative Infections
Although classical music has the potential benefits to both the surgical team and the patient, music that’s too loud can cause detrimental effects instead of giving benefits.
High-beat music or loud music can increase postoperative infections and can even lead to confusion and miscommunication among the members of the surgical team. Miscommunication is mainly the reason why they cause a lot of mistakes, leading to medical errors and other detrimental effects.
With all these considerations, classical music should be played in low volume to avoid miscommunication that can lead to certain medical errors. That way, the surgical team will be able to reap the benefits of classical music that can improve their surgical performance.
Conclusion
Playing classical music in the operating theater can be beneficial to the whole surgical team, as it can reduce stress and muscle fatigue and can also improve their focus while operating.
However, one must take note that playing classical music at a high volume can have the opposite effect on surgeons, creating miscommunication among the members of the surgical team. This miscommunication can lead to many surgical errors and mistakes along the way. So, to reap the benefits of classical music, one must play it at a low volume.
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