Study: Music, preoperative education reduce cardiac surgery anxiety, improve recovery

Editor's Note

Research shows combining music with preoperative education not only reduces anxiety, but also enhances recovery outcomes in patients undergoing open cardiac surgery.

Published January 21 in the Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing, the randomized controlled study involved 322 patients, evenly randomized into an experimental group (music and preoperative education) and a control group (standard preoperative care). The experimental intervention included an 8-minute educational video outlining surgery procedures and recovery tips, paired with 30 minutes of classical instrumental music pre- and postoperatively. Anxiety levels, vital signs, ICU/hospital stays, and quality of life (SF-36) were measured at six time points, including baseline, post-intervention, post-extubation, and one month after discharge. Key findings include:

• Anxiety scores were significantly lower in the experimental group immediately after the intervention (T1) and on the first postoperative day (T4).
• ICU stays were reduced by 30%, and overall hospital stays were shortened by nearly one day in the experimental group.
• Vital signs (heart rate, mean blood pressure, respiratory rate) were consistently more stable in the experimental group during critical perioperative periods (T1-T4).
• One month post-discharge (T5), quality of life scores across all SF-36 subscales were significantly higher in the experimental group, reflecting improved physical, emotional, and social recovery.

Anxiety in cardiac surgery patients triggers physiological responses that increase myocardial oxygen demand, exacerbating recovery challenges, researchers write. Findings show that music therapy activated parasympathetic responses, lowering stress markers, while the educational video addressed patients’ fears and uncertainties, fostering a multidimensional antianxiety effect. Together, these interventions mitigated circulatory and respiratory fluctuations, contributing to faster recovery. Limitations of the study included the lack of separate analysis for music and education components, uniformity in music and educational content, and the absence of cultural tailoring.