Could virtual reality help kids heal after heart surgery?
NCT ID NCT06712368
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether using virtual reality glasses during physical therapy can reduce pain, improve blood oxygen levels, and help children walk farther after open heart surgery. Forty children aged 6 to 12 took part. One group used VR glasses during their cardiac rehab exercises, while the other group did the same exercises without VR. Researchers measured pain, blood gases, and walking ability to see if VR made a difference.
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 glasses
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to ease pain and speed recovery for children after heart surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 40 children, so results may not apply to all kids. Virtual reality may not work for everyone and could cause dizziness or discomfort.
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
-
40 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Aug 2024
- Finished
-
Mar 2025
- 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
-
6 to 12 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 Hide 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: * Both genders will be included. * Their age range from 6 to 12 years. * Children after open heart surgery ( phase I cardiac rehabilitation). Exclusion Criteria: The children have one or more of the following will be excluded: * Any child Suffering from any other chronic congenital diseases. * Severe visual or auditory problems. * Neurological problems. * Vertigo problems. * Post surgical hemorrhage. * Post surgical arrhythmia.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Children after open heart surgery are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
National heart institute
Cairo, Egypt
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- A soft patch that watches your heart beat in real time
- Can a warm wrist make baby arterial lines easier?
- Why fontan hearts struggle to exercise: researchers probe the lungs
- Can a scan before birth predict a Baby's heart defect?
- Can heart surgery rehab move from hospital to home?
- Can a diabetes drug ease the strain of a failing single-ventricle heart?