Virtual reality could replace sedatives for anxious hip surgery patients

NCT ID NCT07705451

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
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Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

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Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
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Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

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Status unknown
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First seen Jul 15, 2026 · Last updated Jul 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether using a virtual reality (VR) headset during hip replacement surgery can lower anxiety and prevent post-surgery confusion in older adults. Half of the participants will watch calming nature scenes through VR while under regional anesthesia, while the other half receives standard care. The goal is to see if this non-drug approach improves comfort and recovery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
immersive virtual reality via a headset showing calming nature scenes
What this could lead to
If effective, VR could offer a drug-free way to ease anxiety and prevent confusion after surgery in older patients.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 40 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Some patients may not tolerate the VR headset.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 40 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Jul 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

45 months to 75 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients scheduled for elective cemented or uncemented hip arthroplasty under regional (spinal or epidural) anesthesia. * ASA physical status I-III. * Mentally capable of providing informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Pre-existing cognitive impairment or dementia (as assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination). * Severe uncorrected visual or hearing impairments that prevent VR device tolerance. * Severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder). * General contraindications to regional anesthesia (e.g., localized back infection, severe coagulopathy). * Inability to physically tolerate or adjust to the VR headset

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

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