Virtual reality pain mitigation during elective cesarean surgical delivery

We present supplemental virtual reality (VR) relaxation to reduce pain and anxiety during elective cesarean delivery in 4 young women under epidural analgesia. Methodology. Four women voluntarily participated in a VR relaxation group (mean age = 28.5 years) and four women in a control group (mean age = 30.5 years). VR relaxation was initiated for the placement of the epidural block and cesarean procedure until the gynecologist extracted the newborn from the uterus. The mothe's vital signs and pain were measured using physiological monitoring and a visual analog scale before, during and after anesthesia placement and during and after cesarean surgery. Participants viewed an ‘Enchanted Forest’ virtual environment. Three of the four patients’ husbands participated by navigating the virtual environment for his wife using a game controller. Results. Patients presented 91.89 % pain reduction in the VR group—a remarkable result under regional anesthesia. Patients in the control group presented 61 % increases in pain. Conclusions. VR supplemented pain mitigation provides high levels of satisfaction to mothers during elective cesarean delivery and carries no risk for the newborns. The current report highlights an innovative contribution to womens’ healthcare. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)