The effect of virtual reality on anxiety reduction in supraventricular tachycardia ablation: prospective study

Catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia is a treatment procedure with high procedural success and low complication rate. Peri-procedural anxiety and pain remain a concern. Pharmacological sedation may make it difficult to induce tachycardia Virtual reality (VR) is a form of non-pharmacological distraction that may potentially modulate pain and anxiety.

This study investigates whether VR reduces pain and anxiety during ablation procedures without sedation and compares the effects of VR with those of standard care.

In this single-centre, prospective study, in a cohort size sample of 410 patients who underwent SVT catheter ablation between January 2024 and July 2024, 158 SVT ablation patients were willing to participate in the study and met the educational history and mental status criteria for assessment. Prior to the procedure, we utilized virtual reality (VR) glasses to present informative videos to the VR group.Also VR 3D videos were also used to reduce anxiety intraprocedural. The other group received standard counselling and ablation protocol.

The baseline demographical characteristics were comparable in both groups, including age. Post-interventional anxiety scores (STAI-S) (30.3 ±17.4 vs. 40.5 ±17.2, p =0.01) and VAS (visual analogue scale) anxiety were lower in the VR than in the CG. Procedure time, fluoroscopy time, and VAS pain score were similar between the groups. There are no major complications in both groups. Cybersickness was observed in only 3,79% of VR patient.

VR application for SVT ablation is feasible and safe for anxiety. There was a significant reduction in periprocedural anxiety without procedure and fluoroscopy time changes.

Graphical Abstract