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Virtual Reality Hypnosis as Sedation During Oocyte Retrieval: Effect on Propofol Consumption (VRH-IVF)

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Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain

Status

Not yet enrolling

Conditions

Oocyte Retrieval for IVF

Treatments

Other: virtual reality hypnosis device

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT07104409
2025/24JUI/253
VRH-IVF (Registry Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

An egg retrieval is performed during an IVF course. This painful procedure is performed using sedation to ensure patient comfort. A combination of sedative and analgesic medications combined with local anesthesia (paracervical block) is used. Propofol, the intravenous anesthetic of choice (rapid-acting and short-acting), and remifentanil (an ultra-short-acting opioid analgesic) are generally combined. The potential impact of these agents used for egg retrieval on egg fertilization and embryo quality is of interest. Indeed, certain drugs such as propofol could accumulate in the follicular fluid. The few studies conducted to date show contradictory results. While a harmful effect appears to be reported in experimental studies on mice, this effect is uncertain in clinical studies. Given this uncertainty, any method aimed at reducing propofol consumption in this context may be of interest. Virtual reality hypnosis (VRH) is a digital tool that has already been shown to be effective in reducing preoperative anxiety during oocyte retrieval. Furthermore, VRH has also demonstrated analgesic effects.

The primary objective of this study is to compare VRH with a control group (usual sedation) on propofol consumption during oocyte retrieval.

Secondary objectives are to compare preoperative anxiety, APAIS score, catastrophizing score, remifentanil consumption, intra- and/or post-operative nausea and vomiting, post-procedural analgesic consumption, time perception during the procedure, fertilization parameters, and pregnancy rate at 12 weeks. The degrees of absorption, dissociation, immersion, and presence for the VRH group will also be noted.

Full description

This is a prospective, single-center, randomized, controlled interventional study that will include 72 patients. Patients will be randomized into two groups: a Control group, in which patients will receive conventional sedation (remifentanil 0.1 mcg/kg/min and propofol 0.5 mg/kg if necessary) during the retrieval, and an RVH group, in which patients will receive conventional sedation (remifentanil 0.1 mcg/kg/min and propofol 0.5 mg/kg if necessary) and a Virtual Reality headset with an environment chosen by the patient and hypnosis support with suggestions to reduce their anxiety. To be included, patients must have undergone egg retrieval as part of their IVF at the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, be French-speaking, have undergone simple IVF or ICSI IVF, and must not be undergoing long-term psychotherapeutic treatment or taking psychotropic medications. They must also have given their free, informed and written consent signed by the investigator and the patient in the days preceding the intervention. Patients with morbid obesity, blindness and/or deafness and with a history contraindicating the use of anti-inflammatory drugs will be excluded from the study.

Enrollment

72 estimated patients

Sex

Female

Ages

18 to 42 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • egg retrieval as part of their IVF at the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc,
  • to be French-speaking,
  • simple IVF or ICSI IVF
  • 18-42 yrs

Exclusion criteria

  • morbid obesity
  • blindness and/or deafness
  • history contraindicating the use of anti-inflammatory drugs
  • long-term psychotherapeutic treatment or taking psychotropic medications.

Trial design

Primary purpose

Other

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

72 participants in 2 patient groups

control group
No Intervention group
Description:
sedation with remifentanil and propofol
RVH group
Experimental group
Description:
RVH session + sedation with remifentanil and propofol
Treatment:
Other: virtual reality hypnosis device

Trial contacts and locations

0

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Central trial contact

Céline Pirard, MD, PhD; Fabienne Roelants, MD

Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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