A new study shows that music played during surgery can help patients recover. The study was conducted doctors India's Maulana Azad Medical College. They played flute music to a female patient while she was having her gallbladder removed. Before the operation, doctors gave the woman anaesthetic drugs to put her to sleep. Anaesthetics block pain signals and totally relax a patient's muscles while they are asleep. However, even when anaesthetics make us sleep, the part
the brain that helps us listen stays partly active. Doctors say patients can still hear music. This means patients need fewer painkilling drugs, wake
faster, and are more alert
surgery.
The lead researcher, Dr Tanvi Goel, explained why music is so helpful to patients having surgery. She said her research shows "that this is more than just simple background music". She said music was important because it helped patients feel less pain and need fewer painkillers. Co-researcher Dr Farah Husain agreed. Dr Husain is a senior specialist anaesthesia. She is also a music therapist. She believes music has an important part to play the operating theatre. She said: "Our aim is early discharge surgery. Patients need to wake clear-headed, alert... and ideally pain-free." She said music helps pain management and reduces patients' stress they wake .
