Virtual Reality after Surgery—A Method to Decrease Pain After Surgery in Pediatric Patients

Background Virtual Reality (VR) is used as an effective tool for distraction and as an adjunct for pain management. This study was conducted to compare VR to standard iPad use after surgery and examine its effect on pain score and opioid consumption. Methods This was a randomized controlled study, with stratification by surgery type, age group (7-12yo, 13-18yo) and gender. Pain and anxiety were assessed with validated scales (STAI, FACES, VAS, FLACC) and outcomes were compared between each group. Results 50 of the 106 enrolled patients used the VR device. After adjusting for age, gender, and STAI, patients had a decreased FLACC score while using the VR device compared to the iPad group (odds ratio 2.95, P = .021). The younger patients were found to have lower FLACC scores while using the VR device (odds ratio 1.15, p=0.044); this finding was most significant when patients used the VR device for 20-30 minutes (odds ratio 1.67, P = .0003). Additionally, after adjusting for treatment group, gender, and STAI, the younger patients had higher odds of withdrawal or exclusion from the study (odds ratio 1.18, P = .021). No significant difference in opioid consumption between the groups was found. Discussion Virtual reality was well tolerated and more effective in decreasing pain during the immediate postoperative period than iPad use. Despite a slightly higher withdrawal rate, younger patients benefited more from the intervention.