The Effect of Immersive Virtual Reality Application on Anxiety, Pain, and Parental Satisfaction in the Perioperative Process of Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

•Informing children about the operating theatre through virtual reality is effective in reducing anxiety.•Virtual reality is at least as effective, if not superior, to traditional videos in reducing anxiety.•Parents of children who have less anxiety about surgery have higher satisfaction levels. To determine the effects of virtual reality (VR) interventions on pre- and postoperative anxiety, pain, and parental satisfaction in children. A randomized controlled trial. Children undergoing surgery for the first time and their families were randomly assigned to the control or VR group. The control group received conventional education regarding the perioperative process. The VR group watched a VR video illustrating the operating theater and explaining the perioperative process. The primary outcome of interest was preoperative anxiety, evaluated using the Children's State Anxiety Scale. Secondary outcomes of interest included postoperative pain ratings using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale and parental satisfaction scores using the PedsQL Health Care Satisfaction Scale. The analysis included 70 children and their families (control = 35, VR = 35). Demographic characteristics were similar between the groups. Children in the VR group had significantly lower preoperative anxiety scores (p < .001) and postoperative anxiety scores (p = .010) compared to the control group. Parental satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the VR group (p < .001). The VR group had lower postoperative pain scores, but this difference was not statistically significant (p > .05). Preoperative education using VR tours may reduce preoperative anxiety and increase parental satisfaction. However, the lack of baseline measurements limits our ability to definitively attribute these effects to the VR intervention. Despite this, VR is a promising nonpharmacological strategy for managing children's anxiety and increasing parental satisfaction. Virtual reality interventions offer an effective nonpharmacological strategy for perioperatively managing children's anxiety and increasing parental satisfaction.