Beyond Anesthesia: A Mini Review of Virtual Reality as an Adjunct in Urological Procedures

For selected endourological interventions, local anesthesia provides an alternative to general anesthesia and can avoid complications and reduce turnover times and health care costs. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising nonpharmacological adjunct with potential to improve local anesthesia tolerability. This mini-review examines the role of VR during urological procedures under local anesthesia. Ten studies were included from 559 screened articles. For more invasive procedures, VR use was often associated with significant pain and anxiety reductions, while other studies reported minimal effects. VR effectiveness varied according to the invasiveness of the procedure, patient anxiety, and VR content. While VR shows potential in urology, further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness across various interventions. PATIENT SUMMARY: We reviewed studies on the use of virtual reality to reduce pain and anxiety during urological procedures. The current evidence shows promise, but more studies in urology are needed in this emerging field.