A virtual reality (VR) experience designed to calm children awaiting surgery has been shown to reduce anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure.
Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy investigated whether children’s pre-operative anxiety was lower after a VR session in a calming environment.
The study involved 80 children aged six to 15 and investigated whether immersing young patients could help ease pre-operative anxiety without the need for additional medication.
Published in PLOS Digital Health, the research was conducted by teams from Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) and VCU School of Pharmacy. The findings suggest that VR could offer a practical, drug-free way to improve the experience of children preparing for surgery.
Narendra Vadlamudi, gastroenterologist at CHoR and associate professor at VCU School of Medicine, developed the idea after observing the anxiety experienced by children during the waiting period before procedures requiring general anaesthesia.
Patients can spend an hour or more in the pre-operative area, undergoing preparations such as having an intravenous (IV) line inserted and their vital signs recorded.
Working with Dayanjan Wijesinghe, associate professor in VCU School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, the team developed a child-friendly VR experience. It was integrated into routine care in the hospital’s pre-operative holding area over nine months.
The 80 participants were offered a choice of two virtual environments while waiting for surgery: a familiar children's playroom with interactive toys, age-appropriate television content, and calming music, or a beach scene with gentle waves, palm trees, and ocean sounds.
Each session lasted an average of nine minutes. Children controlled their own experience, while parents could follow along on a tablet and see what their child was viewing.
The researchers assessed anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure before and after the VR sessions. After the experience, children reported lower levels of distress and fear, along with reductions in average heart rate and blood pressure.
Feedback from families and clinical staff was also encouraging. Some 91% of children said they would like to use VR again, while 89% felt it had helped reduce their anxiety. Among parents, 95% said they would recommend the experience to other families. In addition, 83% of nurses rated the system extremely easy to manage.
The findings provide encouraging evidence that VR can be incorporated safely and practically into everyday surgical care.
However, the researchers acknowledge that further controlled trials are needed to establish how much of the improvement can be attributed specifically to VR, rather than children simply becoming more familiar with their surroundings.
The team believes the technology could have applications in other healthcare settings where children face potentially stressful procedures.
Wijesinghe said: ‘Our experience shows that VR can be built into everyday surgical care safely and smoothly, and that it offers a promising, drug-free way to support children facing surgery. It’s important to note that it complements, rather than replaces, other care. We see VR as an option alongside existing approaches, not a substitute for medication when a child needs it.’
