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Controlled Clinical Trial
. 2021 Nov;128(5):561-567.
doi: 10.1111/bju.15332. Epub 2021 Jan 27.

Pain and anxiety during vasectomies while distracting patients with video glasses or virtual reality glasses

Sam J M Dings  1 , Karlijn J van Stralen  2 , Veerle M D Struben  2 , Marinus Arjen Noordzij  1
Affiliations
Controlled Clinical Trial

Pain and anxiety during vasectomies while distracting patients with video glasses or virtual reality glasses

Sam J M Dings et al. BJU Int. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether it is possible to reduce the amount of pain and anxiety experienced during a vasectomy by use of two-dimensional (2D) video glasses or virtual reality (VR) glasses during the vasectomy.

Patients and methods: A non-randomised controlled trial was performed between October 2017 and March 2018. A total of 176 patients were planned for a vasectomy in an outpatient setting and 141 of these patients were divided sequentially into three groups: Control, 2D video glasses and VR glasses. Follow-up lasted 7 days. One patient was lost to follow-up. The main outcomes were pain (visual analogue scale [VAS] score 0-10) and anxiety ((VAS score 0-10), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults [STAI-AD] score 20-80) during the vasectomy. Data were compared using analysis of variance or chi-square measurements.

Results: No significant differences in pain were found (VAS score of 2 in all groups). The odds ratio (OR) and (95% confidence interval [CI]) in the 2D video glasses group was 1.15 (0.92-1.48) and in the VR group was 0.98 (0.76-1.26). Patients in the VR group experienced significantly more anxiety during the procedure (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.07-1.85). Also, patients without prior hospitalisation reported significantly more pain than patients with one or more hospitalisations (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.11-1.65).

Conclusions: The VR and 2D video glasses did not reduce pain or stress during the vasectomy. In the VR group, the anxiety levels during the procedure were even higher.

Keywords: #Andrology; anxiety; distraction; pain; urology; vasectomy; virtual reality.

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