The benefits and drawbacks of music in the operating room.

Introduction: A significant proportion of surgeons listen to music in the operating room (MOR) during a surgical procedure. Over the last twenty years, this practice has been widely studied. The aim of this article is to analyze the effects of MOR on surgical performance, postoperative history and, more generally, on communication in the operating theater.

Method: A comprehensive review of the factual literature (randomized trials and systematic reviews) was carried out.

Results: Given the heterogeneity of the published studies, it was not possible to achieve results with a high level of evidence. Above and beyond a probably lightened mental load ascribable to MOR, our review did not demonstrate significant benefits of music (a "Mozart effect") regarding enhanced surgical performance in a clinical setting or a reduced number of perioperative or postoperative adverse events. The major drawbacks of MOR include team communication impediments, surgeon distraction, and frustration felt by team members.

Conclusion: MOR implementation should presuppose dialogue and agreement among all members of a caregiving team. Do the advantageous aspects of MOR indeed (finally) consist in lessened mental load and heightened surgeon well-being?