Abstract
Music therapy, leveraging the profound influence of music on human emotions and physiology, has gained attention for its potential applications in medical settings, particularly in surgery. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of music therapy's application in surgery. Publications related to application of music therapy in surgery from 2009 to 2023 were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) databases. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Microsoft Excel, and online bibliometrics websites. This study included 479 publications, with a steady increase in annual publications since 2009, peaking in 2021. The USA had the highest number of publications (n = 152, 31.7%), followed by China (85, 17.7%) and Italy (48, 10%). Harvard University emerged as the top research institution, while the Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing was the primary publishing journal, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was the highest co-cited journal. Cao Hua had the highest number of studies, and Nilsson U (n = 131) was identified as the most co-cited author. Keyword analysis revealed anxiety, therapy, music therapy, and pain as primary research trends in recent years. This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive summary of the existing research landscape, highlighting progress, challenges, and opportunities in integrating music therapy into surgical practice.