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VR headsets could slash opioid use after surgery

NCT ID NCT07063394

Symptom relief Sponsor: Filomena R B G Galas Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study tests whether using a virtual reality headset after heart or chest surgery can lower the amount of strong painkillers (opioids) patients need. Sixty people aged 16 to 40 will be split into three groups: one using interactive VR games, one watching passive VR videos, and one receiving standard care only. The goal is to see if VR's immersive distraction can improve pain control 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
Virtual reality (VR) headset with interactive games and passive videos
What this could lead to
If it works, VR could become a drug-free way to manage pain after surgery, reducing reliance on opioids and their side effects.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 60 patients. The effect may be small or not work for everyone, and VR might cause discomfort in some patients.

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 60 people

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

Started

Dec 2024

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a government body.

Who can take part

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

Ages

16 to 40 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 undergoing elective cardiac or thoracic surgeries at the Heart Institute (InCor) of the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo. * Eligible thoracic surgeries include: pulmonary decortication, thoracic sympathectomy, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), pulmonary biopsy, and pectus excavatum repair using the Nuss procedure. * Patients aged between 16 and 40 years. * Preserved cognitive function, indicated by a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of ≥ 25. Exclusion Criteria: * Visual impairments. * Cognitive impairment (MMSE ≤ 24). * Severe upper limb motor limitations. * Claustrophobia. * Spatial disorientation. * Motion sickness or vestibular disorders. * Infectious or contagious diseases.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Heart surgery OPIOID Pain Thoracic surgery Virtual reality

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Incor - Heart Institute - University of Sao Paulo

    RECRUITING

    São Paulo, São Paulo, 05403000, Brazil

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