For as long as humans have pounded drums and plucked strings, listening to music has affected people’s sense of well-being, lifting their spirits and — as new research shows — calming their nerves. Literally. According to a study at Cleveland Clinic, music can slow the neuronal firings deep within the brain during surgery designed to [...]

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Surgical Headphones FAQ

The headphones have been on the market for almost a year now and I’m selling them (and the download) primarily to individuals.  Once the data is gathered and the proof of their efficacy is undeniable, I will begin marketing them to hospitals and surgical centers, in earnest. 
What I’ve noticed so far is that [...]

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Yes, there was a time when things were done very differently in surgery.  Some of these tools pictured here were downright barbaric!  But today, things are done very differently.  Today doctors and patients alike know about the benefits of music during surgery.  We are much more aware of the dangers of too much anesthesia and [...]

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By Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.com
Classical music played on a piano in the operating room for 115 patients having eye surgery at the former St. Francis Medical Center-Liliha had “profound” physical benefits, it was reported today.
The music lowered the patients’ blood pressure and heart and respiratory rates before any sedation or pain medication, according to a paper in [...]

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Introduction
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The research I am about to present today has taken three years. Its goal was to reduce physiological and emotional stress in patients undergoing general anesthesia. The research questions were:
Is there audio perception when under anesthesia?
Can we find a parameter that would measure the physiological and biochemical effect of music under anesthesia?
As a resident music [...]

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Talks with Mayo Clinic have begun!
Let me start out my saying that this is not going to be a quick happening but at least it has begun!  I talked with my second “official” person at Mayo Clinic today about the possibility of getting my headphones in use there.  They are already definitely in favor of [...]

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As the concept of music during surgery becomes better and better known and accepted, more hospitals around the United States and Europe and Asia are accepting its benefits and recommending it to their surgical patients.

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“We trust that the magic of sound, scientifically applied, will contribute in ever greater measure to the relief of human suffering, to a higher development and a richer integration of the human personality, to the harmonious synthesis of all human “notes” of all “group chords and melodies” – until there will be the greater symphony [...]

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Very interesting study done using music with pediatric surgery patients.
School-aged children’s experiences of postoperative music medicine on pain, distress, and anxiety
STEFAN NILSSON RN, MSC*†, EVA KOKINSKY MD, PhD*, ULRICA NILSSON RNA, PhD‡, BIRGITTA SIDENVALL RN, PhD† AND KARIN ENSKÄR RN, PhD†
*Department of Paediatric Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, [...]

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Yet another medical research study has come out documenting that listening to calm, relaxing music before surgery can calm the patient better than powerful midazolam. Time to order those pre-surgery headphones: www.surgicalheadphones.com.
Introduction: Patients who await surgery often suffer from fear and anxiety, which can be prevented by anxiolytic drugs. Relaxing music may be an [...]

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  The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN is one of the most highly esteemed medical facilities in the world. Imagine how thrilled I was to find that they strong recommend the use of healing music for patients having open heart surgery. Here is what they said: Patients scheduled for heart surgery at Mayo Clinic in [...]

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Since I created my headphones for surgery last year, I also decided to offer just the download of the music as well. Lately, more people are choosing to download the music to put on their own MP3 players. Obviously I think this is a wonderful idea, better than having no music or taking [...]

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I’ve Come Full Circle!
Last night I had a once in a lifetime experience.
 The dear man who has been my mentor in the field of music medicine for twenty years now, was in the hospital recovering from an emergency appendectomy, and I was able to deliver him a set of my surgery headphones to use during [...]

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Rave Reviews come in of my Surgery Headphones
Well I had a wonderful experience tonight at a banquet I attended. I was not expecting to know many of the people who were there, but to my delight, there was a woman MD who bought my headphones a few months ago for her knee replacement surgery! [...]

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This music was planned and played by my friend and mentor, Dr. Arthur Harvey. Since this was created, Dr. Harvey has moved from Honolulu to the Sarasota area. I will be in Sarasota from Oct. 22-26 and available to consult with folks about music during surgery. Let me know if you live in the area [...]

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Music before Day Surgery–are there benefits?

This interesting research comes from England. Apparently many patients feel they’ve been abandoned as they wait for their surgery. If they were given their wireless, pre-programmed headphones prior to surgery, this would undoubtedly calm some of their pre-surgery jitters! Gilmartin J, Wright K. School of Healthcare Studies, Baines Wing, University [...]

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