Currently accepted at: JMIR Perioperative Medicine
Date Submitted: Aug 3, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: Aug 14, 2025 - Oct 9, 2025
Date Accepted: Mar 3, 2026
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
This paper has been accepted and is currently in production.
It will appear shortly on 10.2196/81791
The final accepted version (not copyedited yet) is in this tab.
Immersive Virtual Reality for Pain and Relaxation in Older Adults Following Elective Inpatient Abdominal Surgery: A Single-Arm Study Examining Feasibility and Acceptability
ABSTRACT
Background:
There is mounting evidence to suggest that immersive virtual reality (IVR) can improve pain in older adults in the community settings, yet aside from total joint arthroplasty, the use of IVR postoperatively in the acute postoperative period remains largely underexplored.
Objective:
This single-arm pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of IVR on self-reported postoperative pain and relaxation levels in older adults following elective major abdominal surgery.
Methods:
We recruited individuals aged 55 and older undergoing elective abdominal surgery at an academic medical center, from October 2023 to February 2024. We evaluated feasibility through accrual rate, intervention completion, and questionnaire compliance; acceptability via the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a user experience survey; and tolerability by monitoring self-reported side effects. The preliminary impact of IVR on self-reported pain intensity and relaxation levels was assessed through pre-and post-intervention comparisons.
Results:
A total of 29 participants, with a median age of 73 years (range 55-81), were enrolled and completed at least one IVR session, with 19 also completing a second session. Perceived usability and overall acceptance of IVR was high, with minimal side effects reported. In terms of preliminary impact of IVR, statistically significant improvements were observed in both pain and relaxation levels from pre- to post-IVR on Day 1 and Day 2.
Conclusions:
This study suggests the feasibility and acceptability of IVR as a potential future intervention for postoperative pain management and enhancing relaxation among older adults following elective inpatient abdominal surgery. The positive preliminary results suggest the need for large scale studies across additional complex inpatient abdominal surgeries to confirm acceptance and efficacy of IVR as a postoperative pain management intervention across a wide range of diverse older demographics, including those facing physical and cognitive limitations. Future research is critical to evaluating the therapeutic potential of IVR in a variety of surgical and patient-specific contexts. Clinical Trial: NCT #0609566 clinicaltrials.gov
Citation
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Copyright
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