Music in Surgery: Tinnitus and Hearing Health Insights

Music in the Operating Theatre: A Double-Edged Sword

Music is a common feature in operating theatres worldwide. Seven healthcare professionals in New Zealand provided a detailed look at why, revealing a practice filled with both harmony and discord. Their interviews, published in Scientific Reports, show music is a powerful social and emotional tool, but one that can also exacerbate stress and hierarchy. The research, led by Anantha Narayanan and colleagues, highlights a significant gap between what staff believe music does and the objective evidence supporting those beliefs.

How the Study Captured Staff Perspectives

The Background Auditory Conditions in Healthcare (BACH) study team conducted semi-structured interviews with seven operating theatre staff between February and November 2024. The group included three surgeons, two anaesthetists, and two nurses from general, vascular, and ENT specialties. Using qualitative content analysis, the researchers identified core themes from the interview transcripts. This method focuses on understanding the participants’ lived experiences and beliefs about the role of background music in their high-stakes work environment.

Music Builds Team Cohesion and Mood

A clear finding was music’s role as a social glue. Participants reported that shared musical preferences or a collectively agreed-upon playlist could improve teamwork and elevate the shared mood in the theatre. This created what some described as a “therapeutic space,” beneficial for both staff and, by extension, their patients. Music helped establish a rhythm to the workday and made long, complex procedures feel more manageable. For many, it was a deliberate tool for stress reduction.

The Downsides: Tension, Power, and Negative Impact

However, the study authors report music is “not a panac (NAC supplement)ea.” The same environment that fosters cohesion for some can create problems for others. Control over the music source—often a senior surgeon’s phone or streaming account—was seen as an expression of workplace power and hierarchy. Disagreements over genre or volume could lead to interpersonal tension.

Most critically, the research notes music can “disproportionately impact some individuals negatively.” Staff with sound sensitivity, concentration requirements, or simple dislike for a chosen genre had little recourse. This finding resonates strongly with individuals managing conditions like misophonia or hyperacusis, where loss of control over ambient sound can be particularly distressing.

Music as an Environmental Cue

Beyond entertainment or mood-setting, music served a practical function as a situational cue. Staff learned to interpret the operating theatre’s “soundscape.” A sudden change in music volume or selection, or its complete cessation, could signal a change in the procedure’s phase or an increase in surgical stress. The auditory environment became a key part of their situational awareness, helping them navigate the workflow and emotional tenor of the surgery.

Bridging the Perception-Evidence Gap

The researchers state a major conclusion is the “gap between HCPs’ perceptions and the measured experience.” While interview subjects strongly felt music reduced their stress and fatigue, the study points out that objective psychological and physiological evidence for these benefits in the operating theatre “remains limited.” This gap suggests a need for more quantitative studies that measure cortisol levels, heart rate variability, or cognitive load alongside qualitative reports.

This call for evidence-based practice aligns with broader trends in integrated auditory health, where subjective experience and objective data are increasingly seen as complementary.

Practical Implications for Healthcare Settings

The findings have direct implications for any clinical environment considering background music. First, they argue against a universal policy. What aids one person’s concentration may disrupt another’s. Establishing clear, team-based guidelines for music selection and volume—especially giving less senior staff a voice—could mitigate its use as a power tool.

Second, acknowledging individual differences in sound sensitivity is essential. As research into auditory processing advances, healthcare institutions might consider this an element of workplace accommodation. Finally, the study reinforces that the auditory environment is a key component of workplace culture and patient care, worthy of the same considered management as lighting or ergonomics.

The BACH study provides a nuanced framework for understanding a common practice. It confirms music’s value as a team resource and mood regulator while issuing a clear warning about its potential to create division and discomfort. For a full account of the research, see the original paper: Sci Rep. 2026; PMID: 42252292.