Is there a role for music in reducing anxiety in plastic surgery minor operations?

It is well documented that music plays a role in reducing anxiety levels. Its role in reducing intra-operative anxiety levels in surgical patients while awake is less well known. We report the effects of music on intra-operative patient anxiety in both the elective and trauma plastic surgical setting.

Two groups of patients undergoing local anaesthetic surgical procedures were identified: those where music was played in the operating theatre (Group 1) and those where it was not (Group 2). Ninety-six patients were included. Subjectively anxiety was evaluated by the patient with a visual analogue scale (VAS) and objectively by the respiratory rate (RR), both pre and post-operatively. The unpaired t-test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of differences between the groups.

The mean pre-operative VAS score was similar in both groups (5.7 in Group 1 and 5.8 in Group 2). The mean pre-operative RR was 15 breaths per minute in both groups. Post-operatively, the VAS score and RR were both lower in Group 1 (VAS: 3.5 vs 4.9; p<0.01 and RR: 11 vs 13 breaths per minute; p<0.05).

In the era of the patient centred approach to clinical care, it is crucial to minimise patient anxiety. Music appears to reduce intra-operative anxiety in awake patients in both the elective and trauma plastic surgical setting. Easy listening music and chart classics appear to be suitable genres according to patients. We believe there is a role for a large, multicentre, randomised control study to examine the benefits of music in all local anaesthetic procedures across different specialties.