I had surgery after Christmas, and it was a strong reminder for me about music in the operating room. I was the first patient of the day. As I was wheeled into the OR, there was music playing - I can still feel the vibrations, but I can’t identify the song. There was a sense of buoyancy and lightheartedness that I can remember viscerally. The staff turned down the volume as I rolled in, and we proceeded with the pre-operative “time out,” the final opportunity to confirm my details and the planned procedure before I went fully under anesthesia.
This experience took me back to my life as a Head and Neck surgeon, and the role music played in my practice in the operating room and beyond. Being the surgical patient allowed me to reflect on my experiences in a new way. While it wasn’t my first time under anesthesia, it was my first time being the patient in a formal operating room.
It is extremely common for surgeons to listen to music as they operate. So common, in fact, that it’s hard for me to recall an OR without music, apart from extreme emergency cases. This rang true for thousands of cases I have been involved in.
Generally, the surgeon would select music to support the atmosphere they wanted to create. I played music that brought me a sense of peace, inspiration, relaxation, and expansion. I felt so happy when my OR team enjoyed the soundtrack. It set the stage for everyone to be in positive energy through the case, with the staff maintaining a connection to their hearts amidst the intensity of the environment.
During my training, I was struck by the diversity of music choices in the OR. Genres ranged from classical to folk, ukulele, classic rock, rap, electronic dance music, and beyond. I knew a surgeon who would listen to the same song on repeat, sometimes for over 12 hours at a time. I found that the vibrations of the music really influenced the shakti (energy) of the OR setting. There is generally significant interaction with blood during surgery (I specialized in a field where contact with blood is inevitable and sometimes dramatic), and blood is the highest carrier of soul energy in our bodies. Between the blood, the karmas, and the intensity of working on a living person in this way (sometimes being called to an emergency case while in the midst of performing another one), the energy often needed balancing. Music played a significant role for me in that environment. I felt very committed to maintaining that sense of balance so my team could remain as calm as possible, even in critical situations.
Many spiritual traditions use music as an integral part of their practice because of the deep impact the vibrations have on the heart. I realize now that music in the OR was no different. While I was operating from my mind out of necessity, music helped keep me anchored in my heart. I can see that it was a lifeline for both me and my patients. I am so grateful to have been witness to the benefits of using music in that environment, because it gives me a new lens to see it through now. It also gives me a context for understanding the energetic principles governing why we are drawn to such practices, and how this can extend to so many healing modalities when used in the appropriate setting.
If there’s a time you can recall a melody impacting your experience, either in the role of healer or patient (and this includes self-healing), please share for all of our inspiration in the comments below!
Love to all of you. ☀️🌙
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