The Effect of Listening to Music on Surgical Fear and Anxiety before Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Objective: Listening to music has been used as an intervention during both the treatment and rehabilitation process. Cardiac surgery is stressful and generates fear for most patients. This study assessed the effect of listening to music on the level of surgical fear and state anxiety of the patients, who were undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods: This randomized controlled trial consisted of 50 patients in the intervention group and 50 patients in the control group. Two days before cardiac surgery, the intervention group listened to music for about 45 minutes each day. The control group received no music intervention. Patients’ state anxiety and surgical fear were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Surgical Fear Scale. Results: After the music intervention, the mean surgical fear of the intervention group was 29.04±10.31, and the control group was 50.68±13.65. The state anxiety rate of the intervention group was 39.56 ± 9.37. The state anxiety rate of the control group was found to be 56.94±13.90. The difference between the mean state anxiety and surgical fear scores before cardiac surgery were statistically significant between the intervention group and control group. Conclusion: A music listening program may aid patients in the preoperative period to reduce stress and anxiety and is well accepted by patients. Listening to music as an intervention for patients, expecting to undergo cardiac surgery was feasible and the results suggest a high degree of effectiveness.

The Effect of Preoperative Education Regarding Intraoperative Care on a Patient's Level of Fear of Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study

“…Introduction to the OR environment by the RN circulator before surgery and providing information about intraoperative care can help reduce patients' anxiety levels. 26 In studies on surgical fear, music was found to reduce patients' surgical fear, 27 but therapeutic listening was not found to affect surgical fear. 28 Authors of another study emphasized that psychosocial interventions among breast cancer patients undergoing surgical procedures reduced their fear of the short-term outcomes of the procedure.…”

“…29 In this study, we identified that surgical fear levels were relatively high compared to other study results, and that fear is experienced more in the preoperative period, similar to other the studies. 27,29 Patients' anxiety levels decrease with individual education, informative brochures, or audio materials during the preoperative period. 12 Nursing visits in the preoperative period that include multimedia could reduce perioperative anxiety.…”