The Effect of Virtual Reality on Postoperative Anxiety and Pain in Patients Following Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The VRECOVERY trial investigated the impact of virtual reality (VR) distraction therapy on postoperative pain, anxiety, and quality of recovery in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery as a single-center randomized controlled trial. A total of 192 participants were allocated to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group received VR distraction therapy on postoperative days 1, 2 and 3, while the control group received standard postoperative care. Primary outcomes were measured in both groups directly following the VR sessions in the intervention group. Of the initial participants, 100 patients completed the trial, and it was noted that VR-distraction therapy demonstrated a significant decrease in postoperative pain and anxiety levels compared to the control group.