Virtual Reality for Appendectomy Pain

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pain, Postoperative; Appendix Rupture; Pain

Treatments: Other: VR-Biofeedback; Other: VR-Distraction

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04357132

2020-0258

Details and patient eligibility

About

To determine the impact of VR-Biofeedback and VR-Distraction on pain and medication utilization in children and adolescents undergoing surgery for ruptured appendix.

Enrollment: 15 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 8 - 18 years
• Able to read, understand, and speak English
• Patients in the immediate postoperative period following laparoscopic appendectomy for ruptured appendix

Exclusion criteria

• Outside of age range (<8 or >18 years)
• History of developmental delays, uncontrolled psychiatric conditions, or neurological conditions (especially epilepsy and/or significant motion sickness/nausea/vomiting)
• History of vertigo, dizziness, and/or seizure disorders
• Conditions that would preclude the application of the VR headset, such as craniofacial deformities
• History of chronic pain, frequent opioid use and/or active cancer therapy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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15 participants in 2 patient groups

VR-Biofeedback

Other group

Treatment:

Other: VR-Biofeedback

VR-Distraction

Other group

Treatment:

Other: VR-Distraction