SynthesisLangenbeck's archives of surgery2023
Effectiveness of virtual reality in managing pain and anxiety in adults during periprocedural period: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Langenbeck's archives of surgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07063394 (Evaluation of the Efficacy of Virtual Reality as a Therapeutic Method to Reduce Opioid Consumption in Postoperative Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Evaluation of the Efficacy of Virtual Reality as a Therapeutic Method to Reduce Opioid Consumption in Postoperative Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of Non-pharmacological Interventions for Reducing Anxiety in Endoscopy and Colonoscopy Procedures: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Virtual Reality Is Safe and Can Reduce In-Hospital Anxiety and Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses and Trial Sequence Analyses.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2025Pooled it
- The use and effect of virtual reality as a non-pharmacological intervention for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Age and ageing · 2025Pooled it
- Do Extended Reality Interventions Benefit Patients Undergoing Elective Cardiac Surgical and Interventional Procedures? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of clinical nursing · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of virtual reality on chest tube removal pain management in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: a randomized clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- The Use of Virtual Reality for Pain and Anxiety Reduction: A Literature Review.Acta medica Lituanica · 2026Review
- Effect of immersive virtual reality on pain and anxiety during lumbar puncture: A randomized controlled trial.Journal of education and health promotion · 2026Article
- Patient's satisfaction, acceptability, and feasibility of virtual reality for pain and anxiety management during bone marrow biopsy.Future science OA · 2025Article
- Article
- Extended Reality Analgesia Evidence Reviews Often Lack Sufficient Intervention Detail.Journal of medical extended reality · 2024Article
- Effectiveness of Virtual Reality on Postoperative Pain, Disability and Range of Movement after Knee Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- A qualitative study on patients' and health care professionals' perspectives regarding care delivered during CIED operation.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Virtual Reality in Clinical Nursing Practice Over the Past 10 Years: Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.JMIR serious games · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposePatients undergoing medical procedures often experience pain and anxiety. These periprocedural outcomes can be overcome by providing a distraction using virtual reality (VR), decreasing their perception. VR has proved effective in reducing pediatric pain and anxiety; however, limited studies have confirmed its effectiveness in adults. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of VR, as opposed to standard care, in reducing periprocedural pain and anxiety in adults.
methodsA systematic search of randomized controlled trials was conducted using the databases of MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Scopus. Trials involving patients (> 18 years) undergoing elective medical procedures conducted with or without local anesthesia and participating in VR therapy were included. Primary outcomes were pre-procedural anxiety, post-procedural anxiety, and intra-procedural pain. Pre-procedural pain, post-procedural pain, and intra-procedural anxiety were secondary outcomes.
resultsData from 10 studies shortlisted for inclusion revealed no significant association between the use of VR and lower pre-procedural anxiety compared to standard care (p > 0.05) (SMD = -0.02, 95% CI = -0.18 - 0.14, P = 0.81) but demonstrated that the use of VR was significantly associated with a reduction in post-procedural anxiety (SMD = -0.73, 95% CI = -1.08 - -0.39, P < 0.0001), intra-procedural pain (SMD = -0.61, 95% CI = -1.18 - -0.04, P = 0.04), and post-procedural pain (SMD = -0.25, 95% CI = -0.44 - -0.05, P = 0.01).
conclusionThe use of VR caused a significant reduction in post-procedural anxiety, intra-procedural pain, and post-procedural pain in adults undergoing medical procedures, although the findings were insignificant concerning pre-procedural anxiety.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.