Immersive Virtual Reality Music Therapy as a Preoperative Intervention to Alleviate Anxiety and Enhance Patient Experience in Gynecological Surgery

This study explored the impact of immersive virtual reality (VR) and music-guided breathing interventions on emotional states and satisfaction with educational content in female patients undergoing gynecologic surgery. A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted with 140 female patients aged 20–65 years, assigned to four groups (n = 35/group): (1) written explanation only, (2) VR education with verbal breathing guidance, (3) VR education with neurologic music intervention and live breathing guidance, and (4) written explanation with neurologic music intervention. Psychological states were assessed using the Korean version of the Profile of Mood States. Satisfaction and comprehension were evaluated with a structured questionnaire. Significant differences in psychological responses were observed between Group 2 and Group 3 (F = 3.693, p = 0.014), with Group 3 reporting lower anxiety and depression. One-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences in satisfaction scores (F = 10.125, p < .001), with Group 3 showing higher satisfaction (M = 45.31, SD = 4.28) than Group 2 (M = 43.26, SD = 5.20). These findings suggest that preoperative VR combined with music-guided breathing reduced anxiety and depression and improved satisfaction with educational content in female surgical patients. This intervention may offer a non-invasive, practical strategy to enhance perioperative care in gynecologic settings.