Study Finds Surgeons Perform Better When They Turn Up AC/DC

Plenty of people have credited rock and roll with saving their lives, but a new study backs up the cliché with some astounding findings with regards to the role music plays in the operating room.

A study called "Effect of Genre and amplitude of music during laparoscopic surgery" carried out by researchers at Heidelberg University in Germany suggests that surgeons' speed and accuracy could be improved if they turn up AC/DC in the operating room.

Laparoscopic surgery is a "minimally invasive" surgery technique in which doctors insert narrow tubes into the abdomen. Surgeons then use the tubes (trocars) to manipulate, cut or sew tissues, sparing patients the trauma of recovering from larger incisions.

Researchers observed surgeons at work with no music. Then they observed them working with either soft rock (The Beatles) or hard rock (AC/DC) playlists on at varying volumes.

The surgeons who performed the fastest, most precise surgeries were listening to AC/DC at a high volumes, the study found.

In general, surgeons performed better with music on than in silence. The only exception was when The Beatles were played at high volume.

Who knows what this means for the future of medicine, but it's more evidence that rock 'n' roll is good for more than just your soul.