Use of Virtual Reality for Postoperative Pain After Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

According to the CDC, 115 Americans die every day due to opioid overdose. Prescription opioid related overdose deaths accounted for 40% of all opioid deaths in the US in 2016. In surgery, opioids are an effective tool in reducing pain in the postoperative state. However, this may lead to dependence if pain control is poorly managed. A study examining analgesic use after low risk surgery found that patients requiring a second prescription for opioids within 7 days of their surgery were 44% more likely to become long-term opioid users one year after their surgery.

n order to combat this issue, the concept of multi-modal analgesia has been promoted to reduce the use of opioids for postoperative pain. This modality includes medications (e.g. NSAIDS), regional anesthesia, and adjunct therapies such as meditation and acupuncture.

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology in which a person is immersed in an environment through visual and audio cues that effect the senses. These effects can lead to all types of reactions based on the content and as such, virtual reality is used as a platform for, amongst other things, entertainment, education and patient care.

In health care, virtual reality has been used to desensitize patients with various phobias, provide surgical training and as an effective tool for pain control. At this time, there are no studies demonstrating the use of virtual reality for pain control after gynecologic surgery.

This is a feasibility study to asses if VR can be used for postoperative pain control and whether a VR relaxation program used in the immediate post operative period after laparoscopic hysterectomy will decrease pain scores and reduce both oral and intravenous opioid consumption. If this study is feasible the investigators would then be able to perform a larger study, which could show if VR does or does not reduce postoperative pain. Possible benefits from this study include improved pain control requiring less narcotic medications during the time spent in the PACU after laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign indication. It could also provide improvement of anxiety associated with the postoperative period. This intervention could be a benefit for all women who desire to use non-pharmacologic measures for pain control during the immediate postoperative period. Alternatively, the patient can proceed without the intervention if desired. There are many other pain control methods that the patient can still use during the study. Nothing will be withheld from the patient due to the study.