Postoperative Cognitive Impairment and Pain Perception after Abdominal Surgery—Could Immersive Virtual Reality Bring More? A Clinical Approach

Background and Objectives: Impaired cognition and pain after surgery contribute to prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality rates. Thus, the development of preemptive algorithms for reducing their impact should be prioritized. The main objectives of the present study were to evaluate the eff...

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Published in:Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Lithuania), 2023-11, Vol.59 (11), p.2034
Main Authors: Droc, Gabriela, Isac, Sebastian, Nita, Elisabeta, Martac, Cristina, Jipa, Miruna, Mihai, Diana Irene, Cobilinschi, Cristian, Badea, Andrada-Georgiana, Ojog, Damiana, Pavel, Bogdan, Tanasescu, Maria-Daniela, Isac, Teodora
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Abdominal surgery
Care and treatment
Cognitive ability
Delirium
Dopamine
Fentanyl
General anesthesia
Health aspects
Hospital patients
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Memory
Mortality
Neurophysiology
Pain
Pain management
Patients
postoperative cognitive dysfunction
postoperative delirium
postoperative pain
Romania
Social aspects
Virtual reality
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Summary:Background and Objectives: Impaired cognition and pain after surgery contribute to prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality rates. Thus, the development of preemptive algorithms for reducing their impact should be prioritized. The main objectives of the present study were to evaluate the efficiency of using virtual reality (VR) to treat postoperative cognitive decline and pain perception. Materials and Methods: The study was a prospective, monocentric, clinical study that included 51 patients who have undergone major abdominal surgery. The patients were divided into two groups: Control (n = 25) and VR (n = 26). The VR sessions consisted of 5–8 min exposure at 24–48 h after surgery. We considered the outcome variables, the mini-mental state examination, and visual analogue scale at 24–48 h after surgery. The dependent variables were age, social status, educational level, and duration of surgery. Results: We did not observe any differences in postoperative cognition deficit with regard to VR. The VR, however, successfully reduced postoperative pain intensity. Moreover, the patients’ age, surgery duration, level of education, and social status influenced the MMSE score at 24–48 h after surgery. Conclusions: Even if using VR does not alleviate short-term postoperative cognitive impairments, it could affect pain perception. Further studies are needed to support the use of VR in perioperative contexts.
ISSN:1648-9144
1010-660X
1648-9144
DOI:10.3390/medicina59112034