Does music reduce anxiety for patients undergoing dermatological surgery? A systematic review

The incidence of skin cancer is increasing globally, leading to a greater need for dermatologists to perform skin surgery. However, skin surgery can be a potentially stressful experience for patients due to the fear of a possible cancer diagnosis coupled with anxiety related to pain and cosmetic outcomes.

To examine whether there is any evidence to support the hypothesis that listening to music during dermatological surgery under local anaesthesia can help reduce patient anxiety.

This systematic review considered all original research published until May 2020. Four relevant studies were identified, comprising a total of 381 patients (three randomized control trials and one case-control trial).

Two of the four studies showed a significant reduction in perioperative anxiety in patients who had listened to music during surgery. Both of the other studies showed no statistically significant difference between music and no music for patients, although one of these noted reduced anxiety in surgeons.

There is currently limited evidence to support the use of perioperative music in clinical practice to reduce anxiety in skin surgery. However, given the potential benefits and the likely limited costs of this simple intervention, we believe that further research on this topic is warranted.