Longitudinal Virtual Reality Use in Pediatric Surgical Procedures

Longitudinal Virtual Reality Use in Pediatric Surgical Procedures

This study aims to investigate the use of virtual reality guided mindfulness meditation to reduce the pre and post-operative anxiety and pain of pediatric surgical patients.

Pre-procedural anxiety in pediatric patients has been previously shown to increase the likelihood of family stressors, agitation, sleep disturbances, and negative behavioral changes. Post-procedural pain has been shown to negatively impact future interactions with healthcare personnel. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of using guided mindfulness meditation through a non-invasive device (virtual reality headset) to manage pre-procedure anxiety and post-procedure anxiety and pain.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Have parental consent if under 18 or 18 and older but unable to provide own consent
• Can comprehend instructions in English language
• Is undergoing surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
• Children that are normally healthy (ASA I) or have a mild systemic disease (ASA II, III)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children with significant cognitive impairment or developmental delays per parental report or H&P
• Children with ASA IV (severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life) or ASA V (unstable patients not expected to survive >24hours or without operation)
• Children currently taking psychotropic mediations will be excluded from this study due to the affect emotion modulation
• Children with history of seizures related to photosensitivity.