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Children who used a virtual reality (VR) headset before surgery showed reduced self-reported distress and fear, along with lower heart rate and blood pressure, according to a new study published Nov. 5 in the journal PLOS Digital Health by Dayanjan Wijesinghe of Virginia Commonwealth University, U.S., and colleagues.

Presurgery anxiety affects an estimated 50%–75% of children undergoing surgery and is linked to difficult anesthesia induction, postoperative pain and prolonged recovery. Pharmacological sedation is commonly used to help manage this anxiety but carries risks. Nonpharmacological alternatives such as therapeutic play, music therapy and VR have shown promise but have limited real-world implementation data.

In the new study, researchers created a custom VR experience, which used a Meta Quest headset and immersed users in either an interactive children's room or a calming beach scene. The experience was then provided, over the course of nine months, to 80 children ages 6–15 scheduled for elective surgery at a U.S. children's hospital. Self-reported distress and fear, heart rate and blood pressure were recorded before and immediately after each session, and children, parents and nurses were surveyed about their experience.

0%) meeting a threshold for clinically meaningful improvement in each measure. 001). Most children, parents and nurses rated the experience positively.

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