Small surgeries, big smiles: using virtual reality to reduce the need for sedation or general anesthesia during minor surgical procedures

Purpose Children often require anesthesia for simple diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using virtual reality (VR) to reduce sedation in children undergoing minor surgical procedures. Method In this prospective, non-randomized clinical trial, pediatric patients at a free-standing children’s hospital undergoing hormone implant placement, removal, or exchange were recruited to use VR and local anesthesia instead of procedural sedation or general anesthesia (GA). Patients were enrolled between November 2017 and March 2020, and were compared to historic controls who underwent similar procedures without VR between April 2016 and February 2020. Primary outcome measure was successful procedure completion without sedation or GA. Secondary measures included assessments of pain, fear and anxiety, patient compliance, procedural and recovery times. Results Twenty-eight patients underwent 29 procedures with VR. Hormone implants (72%), removals (7%), or exchanges (21%) were completed without GA, sedation or IV placement. Procedure lengths and pain scores were similar between VR patients and historic controls, but recovery times were significantly shorter in VR patients (18 vs 65 min, p < 0.001). Participant satisfaction scores were high, with 95% recommending VR to others. Conclusions VR is a feasible alternative to sedation or GA for select pediatric patients undergoing minor surgical procedures.