State of the Art: Immersive Technologies for Perioperative Anxiety, Acute, and Chronic Pain Management in Pediatric Patients

Purpose of review: This review summarizes and provides a comprehensive narrative synthesis of the current evidence on immersive technology's (i.e., virtual and augmented Reality) use for perioperative anxiety, acute, and chronic pain in pediatrics.

Recent findings: Researchers have increasingly studied immersive technology as a non-pharmacological alternative for perioperative anxiety, acute, and chronic pain management. We found several research studies published over the last 3 years: almost all studies examined the use of virtual reality for perioperative anxiety and pain; only one case report was about the use of augmented reality for preoperative anxiety. Most studies showed that virtual reality intervention is effective and safe for perioperative anxiety, acute, and chronic pain. However, the studies are heterogeneous with relatively small sample sizes.

Summary: This review shows that more high-quality studies (i.e., randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and standardized methods for measuring and reporting outcomes) are needed to examine the effectiveness and adverse effects of virtual reality intervention on perioperative anxiety, acute, and chronic pain in pediatrics.