Previously submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research (no longer under consideration since Jul 06, 2026)
Date Submitted: Sep 28, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Effect analysis of virtual reality technology for postoperative analgesia after minimally invasive gynecological surgery: Randomized controlled trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Postoperative pain of gynecological minimally invasive surgery is an important factor affecting the postoperative recovery of patients. Therefore, it is essential to find effective pain relief methods.
Objective:
This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Virtual Reality (VR) technology for managing postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopy or combined hysteroscopy surgery for benign gynecological diseases.
Methods:
A randomized controlled trial was conducted at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in China, enrolling 131 patients who were assigned to either the VR group (n=68) or the control group (n=63). The control group received standard postoperative analgesics or analgesia pumps, while the VR group used only VR therapy initiated six hours after surgery. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for pain and anxiety were recorded at 6 and 7 hours postoperatively. Randomization was computer-generated with sealed envelopes, and outcome assessors were blinded. The primary outcome was the improvement in VAS scores for pain at 6 and 7 hours postoperatively. The main secondary outcomes included the maximum pain score, improvement in anxiety levels assessed using the VAS for anxiety. Analysis was by intention to treat.
Results:
No significant differences were observed between the VR and control groups in pain scores (mean difference 0.169, 95%CI -0.271,0.608, P=.583) or anxiety scores (mean difference 0.042, 95%CI -0.365,0.449, P=.837)). Adverse reactions such as dizziness, nausea, and vomiting showed no significant variation in remission rates.
Conclusions:
VR technology demonstrated no favorable analgesic and anxiolytic effects to traditional analgesics in minimally invasive gynecological surgeries, it demonstrated potential as a non-invasive and cost-effective alternative, warranting further research to optimize its clinical application. Clinical Trial: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2400091244
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