Eyeworld

OPHTHALMOLOGY BUSINESS 72 August 2016 relaxing music are less likely to require sedation for surgery. His research, which has not yet been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, included 62 patients slated for cataract surgery. Prospectively and randomly, half were chosen to listen to 15 minutes of relaxing mu- sic ahead of surgery, while the other half did not. All of the participants took an eight-question Surgical Fear Questionnaire and a separate Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire before and after surgery. Questions patients rated included statements like "I'm afraid of the operation," "I'm afraid of pain after the operation," and "I'm afraid the operation will fail," to name a few. Those who did not listen to music were twice as likely to need sedation compared to those who listened to tunes—32% vs. 16%, respectively. Those who listened to music appeared to have lower anxiety scores (23 out of 100 for the music group compared to 65 out of 100 for the non-music group). Pa- tients who listened to music had an average satisfaction score of 71 out of 100 compared to the non-music group's mean of 55 out of 100. Patients who listened to music were given a variety of choices to suit their style preferences, such as jazz, classical, Cuban, and flamenco. Music, according to the research, was provided by MUSIC CARE, a Paris-based music therapy app. MUSIC CARE's music is designed in a "U-Sequence" starting with a decrescendo of stimulating rhythms that enter into a slow rhythm (the relaxation phase), before upping the tempo to a more moderate pace in the "awakening phase." Accord- ing to MUSIC CARE's website, its music therapy sessions are "aimed to change your state of conscious- ness by changes in the musical discourse." This is not the first time re- search has been done on the effect of music during cataract surgery. A study with 141 patients in Thai- land found patients who listened to binaural beats in relaxing music and other sounds had lower anx- iety scores and a slower heart rate compared to patients who listened to the sounds within a surgical suite. This research was presented at the by Liz Hillman EyeWorld Staff Writer patients since the operating sheet is covering the entire head." From his estimates, 10–20% of patients require sedation for such procedures, depending both on their level of anxiety and the surgeon's experience level. Dr. Guerrier, who has a particu- lar interest in non-invasive, cost-ef- ficient methods to reduce anxiety and improve patient satisfaction, comfort, and ultimately outcomes, recently presented research that suggests patients who listen to Despite the promise of a generally quick procedure and pain relief from local anesthesia, surgery while awake can be a particularly daunting and anxiety-inducing prospect for many patients. "Eye surgery is particularly stressful, and some patients ask for general anesthesia to avoid seeing or feeling anything," said Gilles Guerrier, MD, an anesthetist who primarily consults for ophthalmic procedures in Paris. "Reassuring communication is not always suc- cessful, especially in claustrophobic Research suggests relaxation aids could reduce sedation needs O phthalmologists who perform eye surgery day in and day out might think nothing of the fact that the majority of operations take place while the patient is awake, listening to surgical directives and all the sounds of the operating room and perhaps seeing images they consider frightening. 1 Relaxing music relieves patient anxiety A patient listens to relaxing music ahead of cataract surgery. Recent research found that patients who listened to music were less anxious and less likely to need sedation for the surgery. Source: Gilles Guerrier, MD

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