KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) in Singapore offers immersive virtual reality to patients scheduled for gynaecological operations, such as removal of benign tumours, fibroids, cysts or the uterus, to ease their anxiety before surgery. The hospital integrated the technology into clinical practice in 2025 after earlier studies, and it is currently offered at no extra cost.
Patients who accept wear a VR headset and watch one or more of four videos: a beach scene set to meditation music, a forest with guided breathing exercises, a visit to the Gardens by the Bay, and a walkthrough of KKH’s operating theatre. Each video runs five to 10 minutes. Patients with motion sickness or visual problems, and those admitted for urgent operations, are not offered the option.
Uptake and scale
- About 70% of patients offered the VR option had taken it up, according to a KKH day surgery nurse clinician.
- KKH expects the service to benefit up to 250 women each year.
Reported results
KKH reports that the VR intervention has reduced patients’ pre-surgery anxiety by around 30%. These are the hospital’s own study results, as reported by the Straits Times.
- A 2020 KKH study of 108 gynaecological surgery patients, which used a Samsung Gear VR headset, saw pre-surgical anxiety drop by about a third, and 82.41% of participants rated the experience Good or Excellent.
- A March 2026 KKH study of 104 patients found that the intervention also kept anxiety lower for up to three days after surgery.
What comes next
KKH is looking to extend the VR option to children before surgery in the hospital, and to other outpatient procedures or services. This remains a plan.
