Faisal Ashour
King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Saudi Arabia
Title: Virtual Reality (VR) technology in the absence of general anesthesia during radiotherapy procedure for pediatric oncology patients
Biography
Biography: Faisal Ashour
Abstract
VR is a three-dimensional (3D) computer-generated environment that enables the user to explore and interact within a diff erent environmental perspective. It could be in the form of a realistic-artifi cial environment or a 3D imaging that is presented to the user as a real atmosphere with made-up information. Th e VR has-been considered as a non-pharmacologic form of analgesia through exerting attention processes on the body’s intricate pain system. It does so through profoundly immersing the body and mind by delivering enough sensory information to the extent where it suspense any disbelief that one is in a virtual environment. Th e aim of the study is to eliminate the General Anaesthesia (GA) procedure used on paediatric oncology patients undergoing multiple fractions of Radiotherapy. We aimed to utilise the VR technology as a replacement for the GA. Typically, the radiotherapy session under GA takes around 30 minutes from the machine time and that session can be repeated daily for several weeks. As a result, VR Technology was an excellent alternative in most of the patients treated with radiotherapy for non-Head/Brain Tumours. Th ere were signifi cant reductions on the number of the GA sessions. Th at reductions have a great impact on reducing side eff ect of GA and save more time on the Radiotherapy machine that can be used to treat more patients.