Nothing helps get you through traffic, a workout or a long day at the office like music. Surgeons know all too well about long days, with some procedures taking up to eight hours to complete. Many say they use their playlists to pace the day, help time pass more quickly and even improve their concentration. So what exactly are they listening to, and are these purported benefits proven?
From the handful of Sunnybrook surgeons I spoke with, most gravitate to the music they listened to in their early adult years. As one told me, those post-secondary years represent a period when he still had time to listen to music. Interestingly, it was during this time he was learning his craft as a surgeon. So how does tuning in to that same music today help him in the operating room? Researchers know that music can stimulate areas of the brain responsible for mood and arousal. So (to completely oversimplify the science behind all this) the songs you know and love can make you feel good, make better decisions and tend to the task at hand, be it surgery or otherwise.
That’s the good news. The bad news is many surgeons get consistent ribbing from younger surgical residents for their musical selections. “My iPod in the operating room is stuck in the eighties and nineties, so a lot of pop tunes and one-hit wonders,” says Dr. Herbert Wong. “When the medical students come to the operating room, they think it’s retro only because it’s old. You always listen to what you’re used to, so those are the decades I got stuck in.” Old school or not, it helps and the science supports that.
From the patient’s perspective, music can also be beneficial. “I always ask my patients if they want to listen to something, especially ones that are potentially more anxious before surgery,” says Dr. Jamie Kroft. “A lot of times music is great at calming them down.”
So are there any types of music that don’t work in the operating room? From my small survey, there was a general aversion to opera, heavy metal and rap. Oh yes, and any songs referring to ‘bad medicine’ or ‘going to heaven’. Not surprising.
For the record, here are the top 20 songs on Dr. Wong’s and Dr. Kroft’s playlists:
Dr. Herbert Wong
1. I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
2. Get Lucky – Daft Punk
3. Edge of Seventeen – Stevie Nicks
4. Drops of Jupiter – Train
5. Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men
6. Buddy Holly – Weezer
7. Blow Me One Last Kiss – Pink
8. Amazing – Aerosmith
9. Take On Me – A-ha
10. Forever Young – Alphaville
11. The Reminder – Feist
12. Purple Rain – Prince
13. More Than A Feeling – Boston
14. Nothin’ But a Good Time – Poison
15. Poker Face – Lady Gaga
16. Otherside – Red Hot Chili Peppers
17. Lovers in a Dangerous Time – Barenaked Ladies
18. 38 Years Old – Tragically Hip
19. Little Red Corvette – Prince
20. Payphone – Maroon 5
Dr. Jamie Kroft
1. Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of – U2
2. Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
3. Don’t Stop Believin’ [Glee Cast Version] – Glee Cast
4. End of the Innocence – Don Henley
5. Hasn’t Hit Me Yet – Blue Rodeo
6. Have You Ever Seen the Rain – CCR
7. In Your Arms – Shania Twain
8. In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
9. Joker – Steve Miller Band
10. Jump – Glee Cast
11. Lady Marmalade (With Lil’ Kim, Mya and P!nk) – Christina Aguilera
12. Language Or The Kiss – Indigo Girls
13. Lean On Me – Glee Cast
14. Like A Prayer – Madonna
15. Least Complicated – Indigo Girls
16. Love the One You’re With – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
17. Lovers In Japan/Reign Of Love – Coldplay
18. Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard – Paul Simon
19. Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
20. Mr. Jones – Counting Crows
