A study has found that music can benefit surgery patients even when played while they are on the operating table.
Research in the UK shows that listening to music played before, after and even during surgery leads to reduced pain, anxiety and need for painkillers.
Scientists pooled the results of 73 trials looking at the impact of music on almost 7,000 surgical patients.
The findings confirmed that playing music produced significant benefits, especially when patients were able to choose the music they liked.
The best outcomes occurred when music was played before rather than after an operation.
But, surprisingly, even listening to music while under general anaesthetic appeared to reduce pain levels.
The findings are reported in the latest edition of The Lancet medical journal.
Lead researcher Dr Catherine Meads, from Brunel University, said: "Currently music is not used routinely during surgery to help patients in their postoperative recovery.
"The lack of uptake is often down to the scepticism of professionals as to whether it genuinely works, and of course issues of budget and the integration into daily practice.
"We hope this study will now shift misperceptions and highlight the positive impact music can have."
Dr Meads, who carried out the research while based at Queen Mary, University of London, added that care had to be taken to ensure music did not "interfere with the medical team's communication".
Health experts said last week that listening to music in the operating theatre may not be as beneficial as thought.
Research published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing said communication between surgeons and nurses can be impaired when music is playing.
Surgical teams were filmed carrying out procedures to analyse the effects of music being played, and found requests from surgeons to nurses for instruments or supplies were often repeated, while there was evidence of frustration or tension within some of the teams.
Researchers found that how the music was played and controlled was important too. If playback volume from digital sources was not standardised, there could be sudden increases in volume between tracks.
Sometimes staff turned up a popular song, again leading to a sudden increase in volume that could mask instructions and other verbal communications.
Researchers suggested the decision to play music during an operation should be made by the entire team, taking into account both the benefits and the risks.
Dr Terhi Korkiakangas, from University College London Institute of Education, said: "In the operating theatres we observed, it was usually the senior medics of the team who made the decision about background music.
"Without a standard practice of the team deciding together, it is left up to junior staff and nurses to speak up and challenge the decisions of senior doctors, which can be extremely daunting."
He added: "Public perception of music in operating theatres is shaped by media portrayals of surgical teams always working to a background of smooth music.
"We found that often dance and drum and bass were played fairly loudly."
