Virtual Reality and the Wide-Awake Hand Surgery Experience at a Rural Health Center

Area of Science:

• Medical technology
• Surgical innovation
• Patient experience

Background:

• Wide-awake, local anesthesia, no tourniquet (WALANT) surgery offers safety and high patient satisfaction.
• Patient anxiety regarding pain and the surgical environment can be a concern during WALANT procedures.
• Virtual reality (VR) is a proven tool for improving medical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using VR in WALANT hand surgery within smaller hospital systems.
• To assess the impact of VR on patient anxiety levels during WALANT hand surgery.
• To quantify patient satisfaction and experience with VR during WALANT hand surgery.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 48 patients undergoing WALANT hand surgery utilized VR in an in-office setting.
• Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative anxiety levels were measured using GAD-7 and PHQ-9 questionnaires.
• Patients reported their experience, including a "fun score" and overall enjoyment of VR.

Main Results:

• Preoperative anxiety (GAD-7 >10: 19%, PHQ-9 >10: 17%) was present in a subset of patients.
• ANOVA revealed significant differences in anxiety levels across surgical phases (p<0.01).
• T-tests demonstrated significant anxiety reduction from preoperative to intraoperative (p<0.01) and further reduction postoperatively (p<0.01).
• All patients reported a positive experience, with an average "fun score" of 8.54/10.

Conclusions:

• VR integration into WALANT hand surgery is safe and significantly lowers patient anxiety.
• VR enhances the overall patient experience, contributing to high satisfaction rates.
• VR holds substantial potential for improving patient care in hand surgery and other medical fields.