Effectiveness of music therapy as an adjuvant to conscious sedation in women undergoing transvaginal oocyte retrieval: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Aim: Assisted reproductive technique (ART) has emerged as the highest form of treatment for infertile couples. Transvaginal oocyte retrieval is currently performed under conscious sedation in most centers. Since it is a relatively painful procedure, a number of adjuvant therapies have been tried to improve pain relief during the procedure. Music therapy is a nonpharmacological technique that has been successfully used for pain relief in perioperative and chronic pain of malignancy. However, studies evaluating its usefulness in ART-related procedures are limited. We evaluated the effectiveness of music therapy as an adjuvant for pain relief during oocyte retrieval.

Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted at a tertiary level teaching hospital in South India from September 2020 to March 2021. All women undergoing transvaginal oocyte retrieval were randomized to receive either music therapy along with conscious sedation (Group A) or conscious sedation alone (Group B). The primary outcome was postprocedure pain score assessed by the visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes included anxiety score.

Results: A total of 109 women were randomized into Group A (54 women) and Group B (55 women). The postprocedure pain score was comparable between the two study groups (6.0, interquartile range [IQR] 4 to 6 vs. 6.0, IQR 4 to 6; p = 0.69). However, anxiety levels were found to be significantly lower in women who were offered music therapy (3.0, IQR 1 to 5 vs. 4.0, IQR 3 to 6; p = 0.004).

Conclusion: The use of music therapy as an adjuvant to conscious sedation was found to have no significant benefit in pain relief during oocyte retrieval.

Keywords: anxiety; assisted reproductive techniques; conscious sedation; music therapy; pain; transvaginal oocyte retrieval.