[The potentials of virtual reality in pediatric perioperative care]

Each year, millions of children worldwide undergo general anesthesia for various surgical or diagnostic procedures. In Hungary, approximately 20,000 to 30,000 children are treated in pediatric surgical centers annually, and additional 5,000 to 10,000 children undergo operation in adult otolaryngology departments. Treating children is a challenge, as their cognitive and emotional development levels may pose difficulties for them in understanding the procedures ahead and may make the processing of the stressful experiences of the intervention uncertain. Preoperative anxiety can often lead to increased postoperative pain, confusion, extended hospital stays, and undesirable behavioral changes. Various methods are available to manage perioperative anxiety and pain (such as administering anxiolytics as premedication, allowing parental presence during anesthesia induction, and postoperative pain relief). Although distraction methods like music or cartoons have proven effective, pharmacological treatment remains the gold standard. The use of newer, alternative solutions (such as psychoeducation or virtual reality) has not yet become part of routine practice. Virtual reality is a new, innovative tool that offers an immersive, three-dimensional audiovisual experience, diverting children’s attention away from unpleasant experiences. The use of virtual reality in pediatric settings is particularly promising, as children’s attention can easily be engaged through virtual games, reducing the anxiety and pain caused by medical procedures. This article presents the pediatric applications of virtual reality and the possibilities of its use in procedural and perioperative environments based on literature data, in relation to the fact that personal experience with the method has begun at the Pediatric Center of Semmelweis University. Orv Hetil. 2025; 166(2): 50–59.