VRAP-Heart - Virtual Reality Assisted Patient Empowerment for Interventions in Structural Heart Disease

VRAP-Heart - Virtual Reality Assisted Patient Empowerment for Interventions in Structural Heart Disease - A Randomized-Controlled Multicenter Study

This prospective, randomized-controlled multicenter study investigates whether virtual reality-assisted patient education in patients undergoing transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) can improve patient understanding and simulative orientation, thereby reducing postinterventional complications, resulting in significantly shorter length of stay.

This prospective, randomized-controlled multicenter study investigates whether VR-assisted patient education in patients undergoing transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) can improve patient understanding and simulative orientation, thereby reducing postinterventional complications, resulting in significantly shorter length of stay. Disorientation, anxiety, and pain can lead to the development of delirium and, through complications, to prolonged hospital stays during elective procedures. Virtual reality can combine different learning modalities (auditory, visual, written, haptic) and improve patient understanding of the procedure through educational interventions. More detailed knowledge of the environment, the players, the procedure, and safety aspects will reduce anxiety and stress before and during the procedure and reduce complications during post-interventional care. As a result, length of stay should be reduced.

Inclusion Criteria:

• High-grade aortic valve stenosis
• Indication for elective transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation under analgesia (TAVI)
• Existing heart center decision
• Age ≥ 18 years
• Signed informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

• Surgery planned under general anesthesia
• Language barrier, defined as insufficient language proficiency at the discretion of the investigator to understand the purpose of the trial and follow the VR application.
• Severe hearing impairment, preventing the patient from understanding the sound of the VR goggles, tested with the VR goggles fitted without using the VRAP-Heart software
• Severe visual impairment that prevents viewing of the VR modules if it is not possible to use existing visual corrections (contact lenses, glasses) together with the VR glasses in the event of defective vision, tested with the VR goggles fitted without using the VRAP-Heart software
• Moderately severe or severe dementia syndrome noted in the medical history or identified during the informed consent discussion
• Known seizure disorder (epilepsy)
• Positive pregnancy test on inclusion and/or pregnancy is present
• Court ordered placement in an institution
• Any psychosocial condition that makes compliance with the protocol unlikely