Music enters the operating theatre
Surgeons in Delhi prepare to remove a woman’s gallbladder while soft flute music plays through her headphones. 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 who hear no music. A peer-reviewed study from Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital reports these results. The journal Music and Medicine publishes the work and shows how music during anaesthesia reduces drug use and improves recovery.
How melody supports modern anaesthesia
The research focuses on laparoscopic gallbladder removal, a short procedure that demands fast and clear recovery. Understanding this requires insight into modern anaesthesia. Dr Farah Husain, senior anaesthesiologist and music therapist, stresses the goal. She wants early discharge with patients waking alert, oriented and ideally pain-free. Strong pain control reduces the stress response. Achieving that involves several drugs that maintain sleep, block pain, erase memory and relax muscles. Many teams also add regional nerve blocks to numb the abdominal wall. Dr Tanvi Goel, primary investigator, says this combined approach has long been standard.
Surgery still stresses the body
The body reacts even when deeply asleep. Heart rate rises, hormones surge and blood pressure climbs. Reducing this response is central to modern surgical care. Dr Husain explains that unmanaged stress slows recovery and increases inflammation. Stress often begins during intubation, when a laryngoscope lifts the tongue to expose the vocal cords for tube placement. Dr Sonia Wadhawan, director-professor of anaesthesia, calls this the most stressful moment of general anaesthesia. She notes that unconscious patients still show strong vital-sign changes during this step.
Modern drugs shape the experience
Anaesthesia drugs have changed greatly. Old ether masks have disappeared. Intravenous agents now dominate. Propofol remains the preferred drug for short surgery because it acts quickly and wears off cleanly. Dr Goel says propofol works within about twelve seconds. It avoids the lingering effects left by inhaled gases. The team wanted to examine how music influences the need for propofol and fentanyl. Lower doses allow faster awakening, steadier vital signs and fewer side effects.
Inside the controlled trial
A small pilot with eight patients led to an eleven-month study of 56 adults aged 20 to 45. Researchers randomly placed participants into two groups. Both groups received identical drugs: 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 calm flute or soft piano pieces. She explains that some brain regions remain active even during deep sleep. Patients may not recall the music, but their brains still process it.
Results show a clear trend
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 throughout surgery. The researchers argue that hearing remains intact, so music shapes the brain’s internal activity. Dr Wadhawan says the auditory pathway stays active despite unconsciousness. Patients do not remember the tunes, but the brain receives them.
The unconscious mind still listens
Scientists have long explored consciousness under anaesthesia. Rare cases show that some patients recall faint sounds from surgery. If the brain can absorb stressful noise, it may also absorb calming sound. Music may offer comfort without forming conscious memory. Dr Husain says the field has only begun to explore non-drug tools like music. She believes music helps humanise the operating room.
A gentle shift in surgical care
Music therapy already supports psychiatry, stroke care and palliative medicine. Its role in anaesthesia marks a new direction. A simple measure that modestly reduces drug use may enhance surgical wellbeing. The team now plans a study on music-guided sedation. Their early results highlight one message. Even when the body lies still and the mind sleeps deeply, gentle notes may help healing begin.
