Stress reduction and analgesia in patients exposed to calming music postoperatively: a randomized controlled trial

METHOD: Seventy-five patients undergoing open hernia repair as day care surgery were randomly allocated to three groups: intraoperative music, postoperative music and silence. RESULTS: There was a significantly greater decrease in the level of cortisol in the postoperative music group vs. the control group after 2 h in the post anaesthesia care unit. The postoperative music group had less anxiety and pain and required less morphine after 1 hour compared with the control group. In the postoperative music group the total requirement of morphine was significantly lower than in the control group.