Virtual reality in the operating room or how to relieve the stress of patients on the operating table? Géraldine Zamansky, journalist for the Health Magazine of France 5 has deciphered an American study on this practice which is beginning to concern a few establishments in France.
franceinfo: An American study has just precisely evaluated the benefits of this immersion in very well reconstituted universes?
Geraldine Zamansky: Exactly. This study was carried out by anesthesiologists from one of the largest American teaching hospitals, in Boston. They proposed to patients who were having hand surgery, under local anesthesia, to put on a virtual reality headset. These kinds of huge glasses really give the impression of being “elsewhere”.
And Dr. Adeel Faruki explained to me that this is exactly what he was looking for to reduce the anxiety created by the operating room. Those who have experienced it know that it can be impressive to arrive in this room filled with technical equipment…
And in case of local anesthesia, the pain is eliminated of course, but there remain the noises, and sometimes the feeling of the movements of the surgeon. It’s all this stressful set that Dr. Faruki wanted to dissipate, thanks to the trip on a beach, created by the virtual helmet! With a very good result since it made it possible to divide by six the quantity of product injected by the anesthesiologists to put the patients to sleep, without causing the slightest additional discomfort.
Drug to put them to sleep, but you mentioned local anesthesia?
Yes, but precisely, sometimes, if the stressed patient risks moving his arm while the surgeon is in full work, the anesthetist can decide to put him to sleep. This happened more often for those who didn’t have a helmet. And above all, after the operation, the happy virtual travelers spent less time in the surveillance room. I’ll spare you all the related medical criteria and make it very simple: they were in better shape.
A benefit that Dr. Faruki hopes to confirm with the next study on heavier interventions of hip prosthesis for example. Because beyond the immediate well-being of patients, it is above all a question of reducing the complications linked to sleep aids. Like respiratory problems for example.
So these helmets are really not a gadget as one might first think?
No way. Moreover, they have already found their place in operating theaters in France. But of course, they have a cost which seems to slow down their arrival in the public sector more than in the private sector. The Rennes University Hospital can offer it to its patients thanks to donations.
And after a very positive test for small interventions, the Montargis Hospital will soon receive some. Let’s hope that the evidence provided by the Boston team will encourage hospital management to place orders! Either a basic end, or it’s safe, even virtually escaping to the seaside is a good idea to reduce stress, including outside the operating theaters!