Bariatric VRX_1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of Virtual Reality Exercise Programs in pre-operative exercise compliance across Bariatric Surgical Patients; a randomised controlled trial.
IRAS ID
276140
Contact name
James Clark
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Cornwall Hospital
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NCT04297306, ClinicalTrials.gov
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Exercise is a vital part of cardiopulmonary conditioning, this means improving general fitness. Undertaking surgery has been likened, physiologically, to running a marathon. Therefore, it is essential that before any operation any patient undergoing the procedure is as optimised as possible.
Bariatric surgery is no exception. Patients with a high weight often have other conditions most commonly related to the heart and lungs through the excess visceral fat content. This places this group of patients at particular risk of potentially, albeit rare, having a major and possibly catastrophic cardiac event on the operating table during anaesthetic. Pre-operative conditioning is therefore vital in this group of patients who are often young and other than their weight, not necessarily unwell.
Exercise plays an important role in the run up to surgery. However, many pre-operative exercise prescription programs in the past have failed, often related to the lack of compliance. This maybe due to the poor body image this group have of themselves, be it presenting in public, to the gym or swimming pool.
Current Virtual Reality (VR)Games propose that, through their use, they encourage exercise and increase heart rate, given the more personalised nature of this form of media over public engagement. This new media may offer an opportunity to explore whether there is any benefit in terms of pre-conditioning this group of patients prior to their surgery.This study aims, in its first instance, to evaluate whether Virtual Reality (VR) promoted exercise games encourage and can sustain increased activity prior to surgery.
This will be compared under randomised controlled conditions with the current method of advice only.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/SW/0091
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion