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According to a recent German study, listening to AC/DC or the Beatles in the operating room would improve the speed and accuracy of surgeons.
This is surprising and yet very serious news. According to a study published on March 24, 2022 in the journal Langenbeck’s Archives of Surgeryrock would have a positive influence on the work of surgeons.
Rock improves the performance of surgeons
The benefits of music are well established. It soothes our anxieties, gives courage and promotes concentration. Surgeons don’t hesitate to play their favorite songs in operating theatres.
An initiative that would prove beneficial, according to a team of German researchers who examined the impact of the musical genre and the sound volume of the pieces broadcast in operating theaters.
“Our results show that softer rock and hard rock can both improve surgical performance.”said the lead author of the study, Cui Yang, to the daily The Sun.
To reach these conclusions, young surgeons performed a laparoscopy (medical examination which consists of observing the interior of the abdominal cavity) in different conditions: without music, with rather soft music (45–50 dB) and loud ( 65–70dB). Beatles soft rock and AC/DC hard rock were played. Task performance was assessed by analyzing speed and accuracy.
From 236 seconds to 139 seconds
When AC/DC songs were played (including TNT and Highway to Hell) the time needed to achieve a precision cut was reduced from 236 seconds to 139 seconds. The surgeons were therefore faster, but also more precise. The results show a 5% improvement in accuracy tests.
“For hard rock, the positive effect was particularly noticeable when the music was played at high volume”confirms Cui Yang.
The doctors, when they listened to the notes of the Beatles (Hey Jude and Let it Be), were also twice as fast as their colleagues. On the other hand, the positive effects of the music diminished if the sound volume of the songs was too high.
For experts, these observations are explained by the fact that rhythmic music helps surgeons to maintain or even increase their speed and performance. They shake less and are more focused.