Govert Veldhuijzen

134 Chapter 7 ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Colonoscopy is an invasive procedure which may cause pain and discomfort to the patient. The routine use of sedation, whilst effective, is expensive and requires logistical planning. Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive, three-dimensional experiences that distracts the attention and might provide comfort to the patient. We performed a pilot study to investigate the feasibility of VR distraction during colonoscopy. METHODS Adults referred for colonoscopy were considered for inclusion and divided over two groups: with and without VR glasses. Main outcome was patient acceptance of wearing VR glasses during colonoscopy without compromising the technical success of the procedure. Secondary outcomes were patient comfort, pain and anxiety before, during and after the procedure, using validated patient questionnaires. Patients’ comments were collected through a qualitative interview. RESULTS We included 19 patients, 10 were offered VR glasses. All patients accepted VR glasses without prolonging procedural time. No disadvantages of the VR glasses were reported in terms of communication or changing of position of the patient. We found that patient comfort, pain, anxiety and satisfaction in relation to the procedure were similar in both groups. Patients described a pleasant distracting effect using VR glasses. CONCLUSION VR glasses during colonoscopy are accepted by patients and do not compromise endoscopic technical success. Patients reported VR experience as pleasant and distracting.