When Carsten Krohn treats his patients, it is not uncommon for him to hear them suddenly cry out: He heads the “Center for Children with Severe Burns” at the Munich Clinic (Mük) Schwabing and often has to treat the children’s scars so that the tissue is flat and remains elastic – and that can be painful for you.
Recently, however, cries of joy rather than pain can be heard more and more often in the treatment room: the little patients are allowed to immerse themselves in a wondrous sea world, with dolphins and octopuses. VR glasses allow you to do this. VR stands for virtual reality, a computer-generated environment in which a person can virtually immerse themselves – if he or she puts on special glasses.
The glasses have been in use at the clinic since last summer. The Mük Schwabing purchased them for four years with the help of a donation from the Rotary Club of Munich-Hofgarten to help the children better endure the scar treatments after burn injuries. “Because of the visual distraction, they are more relaxed and cooperative and report less pain. This is a great help, both for the children and for us as practitioners, and it is also less stressful for the parents,” says Krohn, who is also the manager Senior physician in the Schwabing pediatric surgery department.
The treatment time also passes faster for patients subjectively through the use of VR glasses. In addition, the administration of painkillers and anesthetics can be reduced – an even greater success for everyone. According to Krohn, the treatment of scars after burns by specialists is essential in order to achieve a functional and visually good result and to reduce the suffering of those affected. Because every scar is a burden, especially on visible parts of the body. Every year, the Mük “Center for Children with Severe Burn Injuries” treats more than 150 children, 70 percent of whom have suffered scalding injuries.
One to two children per day can enjoy the marine world in the VR glasses, reports Krohn. In his experience, it works well from around school age because the children have to be able to get involved in the adventure. Interaction between the doctors and nurses present, the parents and the children is also important. The children would start talking about what they are seeing and this should be addressed in order to keep them in the virtual world for the duration of the treatment.
The VR glasses are now also used in children’s physical therapy, says Mük. You could also imagine its use in other specialist departments. Studies have proven the pain-relieving effect of VR glasses when experiencing acute pain. But there is still a lot to understand: the exact neurophysiological mechanisms that take place in the brain are complex and not yet known in detail.