We spend more and more hours in front of the computer. This can affect our health on many levels. And one of them, although it sometimes goes unnoticed, is an increased likelihood of conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome. osteoarthritis. In short, as information technology controls so much of our lives, there are more and more hand surgeries on the agenda of trauma teams. These operations are usually performed with Local anesthesia, looking for just the right amount so that patients feel no pain but can interact with surgeons when needed. This is what is being done at the moment. However, according to a recently published study by scientists from Deaconess Beth Israel Medical Center (BIDMC)soon to be added to the equation virtual reality.

And there is a problem with the usual procedure. First, a preoperative analgesic blockade is performed, and then, once the intervention has begun, something known as controlled anesthesia (POPPY). This includes adding a sedative intravenously, such as propofolin the appropriate dose, but increasing it if necessary.

The problem is that if this dose is raised too much It may be dangerous. Among the resulting effects are a drop in blood pressure, airway obstruction, and even a heart attack or stroke. This is unlikely as anesthesiologists know very well how far they can go. But even so, it is important to always look for the minimum dose without causing suffering to the patient. Here, although it may not seem like it, stress also plays an important role, and this is where virtual reality comes into play.

Virtual reality for pain relief

Virtual reality has proven to be a very useful tool for treating mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or even eating disorders.

Given that pain, although it has a clear cause, also has a mental component, it has been studied for years whether immersion in the virtual world can help to cope with it. And the truth is, based on the results of these investigations, seems quite doable.

That is why these scientists, whose results are now presented in PLOS Onebelieved that this method could be useful in reducing anesthesia during hand surgeries.

To prove it they had a part 34 adultswho have undergone various types of operations on the hand December 2018 to August 2019. All of them were divided into two groups, of which the first received only MAC, and the second combined MAC with virtual reality.

Scenarios could be chosen by the patients themselves from a list of scenes aimed at relaxation. They had goggles as well as noise canceling headphones so the experience was even more immersive.

Farooki et al., 2022, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Same perception but less anesthesia

In fact, patients in both groups made similar claims after surgery. They all said that the pain was under control and how they felt relaxed. However, the anesthesia dose was lower in those who used virtual reality.

In fact, out of 17 who used virtual reality, only four dose of propofol required during surgery. In contrast, in the MAC-only group, it was necessary to administer at least one dose to everyone.

It is important to note that the participants in the virtual reality group also received anesthesia. This experience does not eliminate root pain, but fewer doses of these substances are required to alleviate it. In addition, another interesting fact is that patients who used virtual reality were discharged from the post-anaesthesia department in an average of 22 minutes before.

Therefore, although the results should be replicated with a large number of volunteers, for the moment the results leave plenty of room for optimism. It is critical to find new ways to reduce the need for anesthesia. And now that new technologies have fully entered our lives, virtual reality can be a good option. Since there is technology behind many of these hand conditions, at least the consolation is that the technology itself is helping to fix it with less pain.

Source: Hiper Textual

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