Indian Study – Music During Surgery Eases Stress and Speeds Recovery

A new study from Delhi’s Maulana Azad Medical College has found that patients who listen to calming music during surgery under general anaesthesia require lower doses of drugs and recover more quickly.

The peer-reviewed research, published in Music and Medicine, involved 56 adults undergoing laparoscopic gallbladder removal. All patients wore noise-cancelling headphones, but only half listened to soft flute or piano music.

Researchers discovered that patients exposed to music needed less propofol and fentanyl, experienced smoother vital signs during surgery, had lower stress-hormone levels, and woke up more quickly and clearly.

According to Dr Farah Husain, a senior anaesthesiologist and certified music therapist, the brain’s auditory pathway remains partly active even under deep anaesthesia. “Patients may not remember the music, but the brain registers it, reducing stress and helping recovery,” she explained.

The study highlights that even though patients are unconscious, their bodies still react to stress from procedures like intubation, which can raise heart rate and blood pressure. Music appears to soften these reactions.

Lead investigator Dr Tanvi Goel said the findings show that a simple non-drug intervention can meaningfully support modern anaesthesia, which aims for stable vital signs and quick recovery. Supervising professor Dr Sonia Wadhawan added that music “quietens the internal stress response” during surgery.

The researchers say their work adds to growing evidence that music therapy can play a useful role even in highly technical surgical settings. They are now preparing further studies on music-assisted sedation.