The Impact of Virtual Reality Glasses on Maternal Satisfaction and Postpartum Comfort in Cesarean Sections Performed Under Spinal Anesthesia

Overview

Due to the stressful nature of cesarean birth, it is important that the use of virtual reality (VR) glasses is both feasible and effective. While wearing VR glasses, the distraction effect can reduce women's focus on pain and the surgical procedure itself. Furthermore, VR applications have been shown to increase women's satisfaction with the birth experience. This study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial. A total of 96 participants will be included, with 48 assigned to the intervention group and 48 to the control group. The intervention group will consist of women undergoing repeat cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. During the procedure, participants in the intervention group will watch nature videos with sound through VR glasses. The VR application will be paused when the baby is born to allow for initial neonatal care and skin-to-skin contact. After skin-to-skin contact has been established, the VR application will resume and continue until the completion of the suturing process. Subsequently, once the women are transferred to the ward, the "Personal Information Form," the "Postpartum Comfort Scale," and the "Cesarean Birth Satisfaction Scale for Women Under Spinal Anesthesia," developed by the researcher, will be administered at an appropriate time. This study is expected to support healthcare professionals in integrating VR technology into childbirth practices by providing insights into women's experiences with this intervention. In this way, the study aims to reduce negative emotions experienced during cesarean birth, support the postpartum recovery process, and enhance overall patient satisfaction. Moreover, the findings will contribute to improving the feasibility of digital innovations in healthcare, enhancing the quality of birth experiences, and strengthening the approach to patient-centered care.

Interventions

• Device (Intervention Group): Virtual Reality Glasses
  Participants in this group will undergo cesarean section under spinal anesthesia and, during the procedure, will watch immersive nature videos with sound through virtual reality (VR) glasses. The VR application will be paused at the time of birth to allow for initial newborn care and skin-to-skin contact, and then resumed until the completion of suturing. Standard perioperative care will also be provided.
• Other Control Group
  Participants in this group will undergo cesarean section under spinal anesthesia and will receive routine perioperative care only, without the use of virtual reality.

Primary outcome measures

• Cesarean Birth Satisfaction [Time frame: Within 48 hours after cesarean delivery]

Secondary outcome measures (1)

• Postpartum Comfort [Time frame: Within 48 hours after cesarean delivery]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

Women aged 18-45 years

Undergoing elective repeat cesarean section under spinal anesthesia

Able to communicate in Turkish and provide informed consent

Singleton pregnancy

Exclusion criteria

Presence of obstetric or medical complications requiring general anesthesia

Emergency cesarean sections

Psychiatric or neurological disorders that may interfere with VR use

Contraindications to spinal anesthesia

Visual or hearing impairments preventing effective use of VR glasses

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Supportive care

Study locations

Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07247643 · E-10333602-050.04-280407

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗