In the operations observed, dance music and drum and bass were often played fairly loudly, making it difficult for the team to communicate. 

Music may hinder communication in the operating room 

Music in the operating theatre is distracting and surgeons should think carefully before pressing play, according to a study carried out by Imperial College London.

The research, published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, reveals that when music is played in the operating theatre it can interfere with team communication, putting the lives of patients at risk.

In a study of over 20 operations conducted in the UK, repeated requests - such as those for surgical instruments - were five times more likely to occur in surgeries with music than those without.

Lead author of the study, Sharon Weldon, said: “Our study shows that playing music in the operating theatre can run counter to effective communication and highlights the need to consider both positive and negative effects of music on staff and patients".

For the study, video recordings of over 20 operations over six months in two operating theatres were captured. The recordings were divided into music and non-music playing cases.

The footage revealed that it was usually surgeons, rather than the nurses, who decided what music to play and how loud to play it.

In the operations observed, dance music and drum and bass were often played fairly loudly, making it difficult for the team to communicate.  In one case, a scrub nurse asked for the music to be turned down because she was finding it difficult to carry out her final swab count.

Sharon Weldon added: "Music can be helpful to staff working in operating theatres where there is often a lot of background noise, as well as other distractions – it can improve concentration.

"That said, we’d like to see a more considered approach, with much more discussion or negotiation over whether music is played, the type of music, and volume, within the operating teams”.