Effects of virtual reality on pain, anxiety, and delirium in pediatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To examine the effects of virtual reality on preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative patient outcomes in pediatric surgical patients, providing a comprehensive assessment of its potential benefits in perioperative care management.

METHODS

This research employed a systematic review and meta-analysis methodology. The databases MEDLINE, Complementary Index, Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL Complete, Directory of Open Access Journals, and Supplemental Index were systematically searched using keywords adapted to each database. To evaluate the quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (RoB 2) was utilized. The data analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software version 3. Meta-analyses were performed on studies that provided continuous statistical data suitable for estimating overall effects.

RESULTS

Virtual reality significantly reduced preoperative and intraoperative anxiety to a moderate degree (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002). However, its effects on postoperative pain (p = 0.071) and delirium (p = 0.307) were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Virtual reality is an effective intervention for reducing anxiety in pediatric surgical patients. However, considering the heterogeneity and methodological differences among the included studies, further randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are necessary to strengthen these findings.