The Effect of Virtual Reality Practice and Music on Patients’ Pain, Comfort, and Vital Signs After Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgery

Abstract

Aim: This research was conducted to identify the effect of virtual reality and music on patients’ pain, comfort, and vital signs after laparoscopic abdominal surgery. Methods: This study was designed as a prospective randomized controlled single-blind clinical trial. The research population consisted of adult patients who underwent laparoscopic abdominal surgery in surgery clinics. The research sample comprised 225 patients who had laparoscopic abdominal surgery. Experimental groups watched virtual reality videos and listened to music, whereas no intervention was administered to the control group. The research data were evaluated with descriptive statistics, the χ2 test, the Friedman test, the one-way analysis of variance, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and Tukey’s and Dunn’s post hoc tests. Findings: In the post-test phase after the 2 interventions, the virtual reality and music groups had lower pain and comfort levels than the control group, and this intergroup difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Results for vital signs in successively repeated post-test measurements after interventions were in general different, and these differences were statistically significant. Patients in the virtual reality group generally had higher pulse rate, diastolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, and body temperature values in successively repeated post-test measurements than patients in other groups (P<0.05). Patients in the control group generally had higher systolic blood pressure and saturation values in successively repeated post-test measurements than patients in other groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: It was discerned that music and the virtual reality practice reduced patients’ pain and comfort levels and had positive effects on their vital signs after laparoscopic abdominal surgery.