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Virtual reality may ease pain and speed recovery after bariatric surgery

NCT ID NCT04754165

Symptom relief Sponsor: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
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

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Jul 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether using immersive virtual reality (VR) relaxation right after bariatric surgery can improve recovery. Participants choose calming scenes like mountains or beaches to help them relax. The trial measures how well patients feel they recover, their pain levels, and how much pain medication they need. If it works, VR could offer a simple, non-drug way to support recovery after surgery.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Virtual Reality Immersive Relaxation
What this could lead to
If effective, VR could become a standard, drug-free tool to help people recover more comfortably after bariatric surgery.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study. The benefits may be modest, and VR may not work for everyone or significantly change recovery.

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

66 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2022

Expected to finish

Jun 2027

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

18 years and older

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 undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery at BIDMC under general anesthesia. Exclusion Criteria: * Age\<18 * Open wounds or active infection of the face or eye area * History of seizures or other symptom linked to an epileptic condition * Patients with hearing aids who are unable to tolerate wearing headphones with their hearing aids * Patients with a pacemaker or other implanted medical device * Droplet or airborne precautions (as determined by BIDMC infection control policy) * Non English Speaking or non Spanish Speaking * Chronic opioid dependence (existing oral opioid prescription for \>3 months, methadone, suboxone) Drop Out Criteria: (after enrollment and randomization, before intervention) \- Surgery is converted to an open procedure (laparotomy), the patient will be withdrawn from the study as these patients are treated in a manner that is different than standard ERAS protocols

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain, Postoperative Postoperative Complications

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Bariatric surgery candidate Postoperative complications Postoperative pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

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