Music enters the operating room
Surgeons in Delhi prepare to remove a woman’s gallbladder as soft flute music plays. She lies under general anaesthesia, a drug mix that induces deep sleep, blocks memory, eases pain and relaxes muscles. Her auditory pathway stays partly active despite the medication. She will wake faster and clearer because she needs less propofol and fewer opioid painkillers than patients without music. A peer-reviewed study from Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital presents this result. The journal Music and Medicine publishes the research and highlights how music during anaesthesia reduces drug use and supports recovery.
How melody supports modern anaesthesia
The study examines patients undergoing laparoscopic gallbladder removal. This short operation demands quick and clear recovery. Understanding this requires insight into modern anaesthesia. Dr Farah Husain, senior anaesthesiologist and music therapist, stresses the goal. She aims for early discharge with patients waking alert, oriented and ideally pain-free. Strong pain control limits the stress response. Achieving that balance requires several drugs that maintain sleep, block pain, erase memory and relax muscles. Many teams now add regional nerve blocks to numb the abdominal wall. Dr Tanvi Goel, primary investigator, says this combined method has long been routine.
The hidden stress of surgery
The body reacts even in deep sleep. Heart rate rises, hormones surge and blood pressure climbs. Reducing this chain reaction is central to modern care. Dr Husain explains that unmanaged stress slows recovery and worsens inflammation. Stress often begins during intubation. A laryngoscope lifts the tongue to expose the vocal cords so a breathing tube can be placed. Dr Sonia Wadhawan, director-professor of anaesthesia, calls this the most stressful moment of general anaesthesia. She notes that unconscious patients still show marked changes in vital signs at this stage.
The role of powerful modern drugs
Anaesthesia drugs have evolved. Old ether masks have vanished. Intravenous agents now dominate. Propofol remains the preferred drug for short surgery because it acts fast and wears off cleanly. Dr Goel says propofol works within about twelve seconds. It avoids the lingering effects caused by inhaled gases. The research team wanted to measure how music influences the need for propofol and fentanyl. Lower doses allow faster awakening, steadier vital signs and fewer side effects.
Inside the clinical trial
A small pilot with eight patients led to an eleven-month trial with 56 adults aged 20 to 45. Researchers randomly divided them into two groups. Both groups received the same drug mix: anti-nausea medicine, a sedative, fentanyl, propofol and a muscle relaxant. All patients wore noise-cancelling headphones, but only one group heard music. Dr Husain offered soft flute or calm piano pieces. She explains that some brain regions remain active even in deep sleep. Patients may not recall the music, but their brains still register it.
What the results reveal
The findings impressed the team. Patients who heard music needed less propofol and less fentanyl. They recovered more smoothly and showed lower cortisol levels. Their blood pressure stayed steadier during surgery. The researchers argue that hearing remains intact, so music shapes the brain’s internal state. Dr Wadhawan says the auditory pathway remains active despite unconsciousness. Patients may not remember the tunes, but the brain still processes them.
How the unconscious mind responds
Scientists have long studied consciousness under anaesthesia. Rare cases show that some patients recall faint sounds from surgery. If the brain absorbs stressful noise, it may also absorb calm sounds. Music may offer comfort without forming conscious memory. Dr Husain says researchers have only begun to explore non-drug interventions like music. She views music as a way to make the operating room more humane.
A gentle shift in surgical care
Music therapy already supports psychiatry, stroke recovery and palliative care. Its role in anaesthesia marks a new direction. A simple intervention that modestly reduces drug use may improve surgical wellbeing. The team now plans a study on music-guided sedation. Their early findings suggest a clear message. Even when the body lies still and the mind sleeps deeply, gentle notes may help healing begin.
