While in Surgery, Do You Prefer Abba or Verdi? - New York Times

I too like to play U2 in the OR, especially on a long case such as 360 macular rotation. However, I play music less and less, and if so, it is usually classical (with the exception of Jimi Hendrix for enucleations). I found that the OR staff and my assistant are too easily distracted if the music had any type of beat. This really hit home to me when several years ago, doing an exceptionally diffcult case in Saudi Arabia, I raised my head from the microscope, and upon looking around, saw everyone from the nursing staff to the anesthetist bopping their head to the beat, eyes staring blankly... I felt as though I was in some kind of a Rave hall. That was the day the music died for me in the OR....


While in Surgery, Do You Prefer Abba or Verdi? - New York Times: "'You're basically sending a message to the people around you that it's a cool place to be,' he said. 'I found I get a lot done when I have U2 in the background,' he said. He does take care to lower the volume when the patient enters the room, and he sometimes asks for requests."