ASA: Noise-Canceling Headphones May Aid Patients Undergoing Gynecological Laparoscopic Surgery

TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Use of intraoperative noise-canceling headphones may significantly reduce the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery, according to a study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY, the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, held from Oct. 16 to 20 in San Diego.Huayue Liu, M.D., from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in Suzhou, China, and colleagues assessed whether intraoperative noise isolation using noise-canceling headphones reduces PONV in patients undergoing gynecologic laparoscopic surgery. The analysis included 192 adults (aged 18 to 65 years) undergoing gynecologic laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia who were randomly assigned to wear noise-canceling headphones (Peltor X5A, 3M, signal-to-noise reduction 37 dB), from induction of anesthesia to the end of surgery, or to receive no headphones.The researchers found that PONV within 48 hours occurred in 35.4 percent of participants in the noise-isolation group and 52.1 percent in the control group (adjusted risk difference, −0.18; adjusted relative risk, 0.67). Within 24 hours, noise isolation was associated with lower PONV severity (adjusted odds ratio, 0.47; q = 0.03). Adverse event rates were similar between the groups, and no serious adverse events occurred."Patients under general anesthesia aren't consciously aware of what's happening around them, but that doesn't mean the brain completely stops processing sound," Liu said in a statement. "Our findings suggest that simply reducing intraoperative noise could give anesthesiologists another tool to help prevent PONV after surgery, without adding another medication."Press ReleaseMore Information.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

ASA: Noise-Canceling Headphones May Aid Patients Undergoing Gynecological Laparoscopic Surgery

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