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CompletedNCT05198908Updated Nov 17, 2022

The Effect of Virtual Reality Glasse on Pain and Anxiety During Episiotomy Repair

An interventional study of VR group and Skin to skin group in Anxiety, Pain and Episiotomy Wound, sponsored by Kırklareli University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to female participants aged 20 Years to 40 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-11-17.

Sponsored by Kırklareli University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
120
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
20 Years to 40 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Episiotomy is one of the common surgical operations that can cause anxiety in women and have side effects such as pain. Nerve blockades with analgesic effects such as lidocaine used during episiotomy repair or the use of tranquilizers and sleep-inducing drugs used to reduce anxiety during this procedure may have side effects. Nowadays, the trends towards non-medical methods (virtual reality glasses, praying, distraction, music therapy) in addition to medical methods during episiotomy repair are increasing due to the inevitable nature of these methods and the absence of side effects. In the study, it is stated that women will prefer non-medical methods (such as distraction or prayer) to alleviate pain or anxiety. It is important for midwives to have knowledge about these alternative methods (music therapy, virtual reality glasses, distraction, massage, acupressure, praying) to reduce the pain and anxiety that occurs during episiotomy repair. A new technology, virtual reality (VR), helps users connect to an environment that simulates reality, reducing pain by distracting them from the real world through computers or other devices. Although initially considered a technology only for the entertainment industry, its field of application has grown over the past decade to include various clinical areas such as pain management, physical rehabilitation, and psychiatric disorders. VR is suitable for clinical use and is a non-invasive and drug-free analgesic method. Its use in obstetrics is very new. Virtual reality glasses are recognized as a safe, inexpensive and effective non-pharmacological anxiolytic agent that allows for the reduction of regular pharmacological sedative doses due to their effect on anxiety and pain perception. Skin-to-skin contact is defined by the World Health Organization as the basic component of postnatal care. Skin-to-skin contact helps to reduce the pain felt during episiotomy repair in the mother and in the postpartum period. This research was planned to determine the effect of virtual reality glasses on pain and anxiety during episiotomy repair.

Read the detailed description

Episiotomy is one of the common surgical operations that can cause anxiety in women and have side effects such as pain. Nerve blockades with analgesic effect such as lidocoin used during episiomy repair or the use of tranquilizers and sleep-inducing drugs used to reduce anxiety during this procedure may have side effects.This research was planned to determine the effect of virtual reality glasses and skin-to-skin contact application on pain and anxiety during episiotomy repair.This study is A prospective, double-blinded randomized controlled trial. Participants will randomized into VR, skin to contact, and control groups.Participants will be consisted of women over 20 years of age, 37-42. to be in the week of pregnancy, Singular pregnancy, being primiparous, Mediolateral episiotomy, Having a planned vaginal birth, Having a vertex presentation, Newborn APGAR score of 7 and above, Newborn weighing between 2-4 kg. In the selection of participants who meet the research criteria for the study, an introductory information form created by the researchers in the light of the literature will be used. Later, each method (VR,skin to contact and control group) will be evaluated for Visual Analog scale (VAS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

02

Conditions studied

  • Anxiety
  • Pain
  • Episiotomy Wound
  • Midwifery

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Keywords

  • anxiety
  • pain
  • Episiotomy
  • Episiotomy wound
  • skin to contact
  • Midwifery
03

In context

Anxiety Disorders

4,874 studies on the registry are indexed under Anxiety Disorders; 1,394 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 120 is above the median of 80 across 4,180 interventional studies indexed under Anxiety Disorders.

Browse Anxiety Disorders studies →

Lead sponsor

Kırklareli University is the lead sponsor of 46 studies on the registry; 13 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 40 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • 20-40 years old,
  • 37-42. to be in the week of pregnancy,
  • Singular pregnancy, being primiparous,
  • Mediolateral episiotomy,
  • Having a planned vaginal birth,
  • Having a vertex presentation,
  • Newborn APGAR score of 7 and above,
  • Newborn weighing between 2-4 kg,
  • Signing the voluntary consent form, who has not used a non-pharmacological method before

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Obstetric or non-obstetric complications
  • Any obstetric complication or bleeding that requires urgent action,
  • Using sedative drugs before and during episiotomy repair (except lidocaine applied in hospital routine),
  • A condition that does not require episiotomy repair (small amounts of separation, etc.),
  • Lacerations other than episiotomy (anal sphincter injury, 3rd or 4th degree laceration), episiotomies below 2 cm and above 4 cm,
  • Instrument delivery (vacuum or forceps),
  • Postpartum complications in the newborn,
  • Chronic disease (Diabetes Mellus, thyroid, Hypertension),
  • Regular drug use
  • Having any problems that prevent communication (such as not knowing Turkish, hearing, speaking and understanding problems),
  • Psychiatric treatment (Pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy).
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
120 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    VR group

    VR (virtual reality glasse) group

    Other: VR group

  • Experimental
    skin to skin group

    skin to contact group

    Other: Skin to skin group

  • No intervention
    Control group-none

    Women in this group will not be subjected to any treatment other than the routine hospital protocol. Before episiotomy repair, each woman is given superficial perineal anesthesia with a 4 ml ampoule of Jetocaine (ADEKA®, lidocaine HCl 40 mg/2 mL, epinephrine 0.025 mg/2 mL). This dose is repeated if necessary.

Interventions

  • OtherVR group

    Women in this group will wear virtual reality glasses (15-20 minutes) until the episiotomy repair begins and ends. At the same time, the hospital protocol will be applied to this group. Before episiotomy repair, each woman is given superficial perineal anesthesia with a 4 ml ampoule of Jetocaine (ADEKA®, lidocaine HCl 40 mg/2 mL, epinephrine 0.025 mg/2 mL). This dose is repeated if necessary.

    Also known as: VR (virtual reality glasse) group

  • OtherSkin to skin group

    For women in this group, a warm sterile operating room towel will be placed on the newborn until the episiotomy repair begins and ends, so that her naked body remains on the mother's chest.At the same time, the hospital protocol will be applied to this group. Before episiotomy repair, each woman is given superficial perineal anesthesia with a 4 ml ampoule of Jetocaine (ADEKA®, lidocaine HCl 40 mg/2 mL, epinephrine 0.025 mg/2 mL). This dose is repeated if necessary.

    Also known as: Skin to contact group

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Chance of pain felt during episiotomy repair

    The participants who met the inclusion criteria will included in the study. In practice, VAS will be administered separately to the women in the experimental groups and control group (pre-procedure, skin repair, immediately after skin repair, in the first hour after skin repair).

    Time frame: During study, an average of 1-1.5 hours

  2. Chance of anxiety during episiotomy repair

    The participants who met the inclusion criteria will included in the study.Participants in the experimental groups and control group will be followed for 1 hour in the delivery room after the episiotomy repair is completed.At the end of the follow-up, women who will be taken to the service will have the STAI scale filled.

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1.5-2 hours

  3. Introductory Information Form

    This form, developed by the researchers in line with the literature, consists of 20 questions in total, including information about sociodemographic characteristics, medical and obstetric pregnancy history, and current pregnancy of the woman.

    Time frame: Approximately 5-10 hours (after hospitalization).

  4. Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

    The scale was first developed and used by Bond and Pilowsky in 1966. The VAS is a 10 cm scale that expresses "painless" at one end and "worst pain" at the other. in VAS; 0 cm means "no pain", 0.5 cm - 3.0 cm means "mild pain", 3.5 cm - 6.5 cm means "moderate pain" and 7.0 cm - 10.0 cm means "severe pain". income.

    Time frame: Approximately 1-1.5 hours (during and after episiotomy repair)

  5. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)

    This scale, developed by Spielberg in 1973, consists of 20 questions. It is a 4-point Likert type scale (1=none, 4=very much). The lowest score that can be obtained from the scale is 20, and the highest score is 80. The higher the score, the higher the level of anxiety. The alpha value of the scale is 0.86-.92.33. Necessary permissions were obtained for the use of the scale.

    Time frame: Approximately 1.5-2 hours (after episiotomy repair)

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Kırklareli University
    Kırklareli, Turkey
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 17, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05198908
Lead sponsor
Kırklareli University
Responsible party
Ayca Solt Kirca (Assistant Professor, Kırklareli University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 20, 2022
Start date
Feb 15, 2022
Primary completion
Oct 10, 2022
Completion
Oct 10, 2022
Last update
Nov 17, 2022

Study contacts

AYCA SOLT KIRCA, Phd
study director · Kırklareli University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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