Virtual reality technology to be used as an anesthetic

Illustration by Niv Bavarsky

Imagine that in the near future, a doctor may prescribe several virtual reality games to relieve pain.

At least that is what Matthew Stoudt, CEO of AppliedVR , a startup that releases content in virtual reality to relieve pain and anxiety before, during and after medical procedures, hopes .

According to the MIT Technology Review , the company has already created three different virtual reality applications to alleviate pain and one to reduce anxiety. Headsets operated by the AppliedVR platform are currently used in various medical institutions for blood collection and epidural anesthesia, as well as for the treatment of postoperative pain.

The potential of virtual reality has long been studied as an anesthetic during medical procedures, for example, for treating people who have suffered burns. However, the equipment necessary to implement this technology in honey. in institutions is extremely expensive: Hunter Hoffman, head of the virtual reality research center at Washington University and developer of the SnowWorld game to reduce pain in burn victims, says the equipment he uses in the intensive care unit costs $ 35,000.

A number of startups, including AppliedVR, see this as an opportunity for business. AppliedVR sells its service content to customers for about $ 5,000 per headset per year.

In turn, Brennan Spiegel, MD, director of health at Cedars-Sinail Medical Center, confirms that technology can help patients cope with pain without drugs or drugs.

Researchers found that in 20 minutes the software reduces pain in patients by an average of 24 percent; before using VR patients, the estimated average score of pain sensations ranged from 5.5 to 10, after the procedure, this indicator decreased to an average of 4 points.

“This is a pretty significant result for reducing acute pain. It’s not too different from what we see after taking painkillers, ”Spiegel said.

He believes that technology can be useful for people who suffer from pain or, at least, can be used by some for relaxation. But whether it will help everyone, it will become clear only after collecting more data.

Elliot Crane, head of the pediatric department at Stanford Children's Health, also believes that VR may be useful, for example, to help children with physiotherapy.

The biggest problem right now is the search for software developers.


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