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Effect of music on surgical skill during simulated intraocular surgery
Ralph Kyrillos1, Mathieu Caissie2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Que.; Centre Universitaire d׳Ophtalmologie (CUO) and CUO-Clinical Research Centre, Research Centre of CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, Quebec City, Que..
Objective:
To evaluate the effect of Mozart music compared to silence on anterior segment surgical skill in the context of simulated intraocular surgery.
Design:
Prospective stratified and randomized noninferiority trial.
Participants:
Fourteen ophthalmologists and 12 residents in ophthalmology.
Methods:
All participants were asked to perform 4 sets of predetermined tasks on the EyeSI surgical simulator (VRmagic, Mannheim, Germany). The participants completed 1 Capsulorhexis task and 1 Anti-Tremor task during 3 separate visits. The first 2 sets determined the basic level on day 1. Then, the participants were stratified by surgical experience and randomized to be exposed to music (Mozart sonata for 2 pianos in D-K448) during either the third or the fourth set of tasks (day 2 or 3). Surgical skill was evaluated using the parameters recorded by the simulator such as "Total score" and "Time" for both tasks and task-specific parameters such as "Out of tolerance percentage" for the Anti-Tremor task and "Deviation of rhexis radius from 2.5 mm," "Roundness," and "Centering" for the Capsulorhexis task. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results:
No statistically significant differences were noted between exposure and nonexposure for all the Anti-Tremor task parameters as well as most parameters for the Capsulorhexis task. Two parameters for the Capsulorhexis task showed a strong trend for improvement with exposure to music ("Total score" +23.3%, p = 0.025; "Roundness" +33.0%, p = 0.037).
Conclusion:
Exposure to music did not negatively impact surgical skills. Moreover, a trend for improvement was shown while listening to Mozart music.
