Study: Virtual reality videos ease fear, anxiety in cardiac surgery patients

Editor's Note

Using virtual reality glasses (VR-G) to watch immersive 360-degree nature videos significantly reduces preoperative surgical fear in patients undergoing open-heart surgery, according to a randomized controlled study published November 29 in the Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing. However, anxiety levels were not markedly affected, suggesting targeted efficacy in fear management.

The double-blind study involved 90 patients randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. On the morning of surgery, patients in the intervention group watched a VR-G video featuring nature scenes and sounds before being transferred to the operating theater.

Researchers measured surgical fear and anxiety levels using the Surgical Fear Questionnaire and the Visual Analog Scale-Anxiety at three time points: Initial evaluation in the morning, before transfer to the operating theater, and in the waiting room of the operating theater. Patients in the intervention group showed significantly lower fear levels at the final evaluation compared to the control group (P < .000). No significant difference in anxiety levels was observed between the two groups (P > .05).

These findings highlight  the potential of VR-G interventions as a practical, non-invasive, and quick-acting method to reduce surgical fear in open-heart surgery patients, researchers write. This tool could be integrated into preoperative nursing protocols to improve patient comfort and readiness for surgery. However, the impact on anxiety was limited compared to the impact on fear, suggesting this approach may best as part of a broader preoperative care strategy.