Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33051699›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of colorectal disease2021

A meta-analysis of marsupialisation versus none in the treatment of simple fistula-in-ano.

Shaheel Mohammad Sahebally, Lisa O'Byrne, Alexandra Troy, Kevin Gerard Byrnes, John Burke, Deborah McNamara

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of colorectal disease, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Shaheel Mohammad SaheballyDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland. sahebalm@tcd.ie.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0804-2830
Lisa O'ByrneDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland.
Alexandra TroyDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland.
Kevin Gerard ByrnesDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland.
John BurkeDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland.
Deborah McNamaraDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMarsupialisation of post-fistulotomy wounds results in a smaller raw surface area and may improve postoperative outcomes. However, it remains a variable practice. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of marsupialisation in the treatment of simple fistula-in-ano. MATERIALS AND

methodsPubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant articles from inception until April 2020. All trials that reported on marsupialisation in anal fistula treatment were included. The primary outcome measure was time to complete healing, while secondary outcomes included recurrence, pain scores and incontinence. Random effects models were used to calculate pooled effect size estimates. A sensitivity analysis was performed.

resultsSix randomised controlled trials were included capturing 461 patients. The mean (SD) age of the cohort was 39.31 (± 8.71) years. There were 395 males (85.7%). All fistulae were of the cryptoglandular aetiology. On random effects analysis, marsupialisation was associated with a significantly shorter time to healing compared with no marsupialisation (SMD - 0.97 weeks, 95% CI = - 1.36 to - 0.58, p < 0.00001). However, there was no difference in recurrence (RD = - 0.00, 95% CI = - 0.02 to 0.02, p = 0.72), pain scores at 24 h (SMD - 0.03, 95% CI = - 0.56 to 0.50, p = 0.91) or incontinence (RD = - 0.01, 95% CI = - 0.05 to 0.02, p = 0.42). On sensitivity analysis, focusing exclusively on fistulotomy for simple fistula-in-ano, the results for time to healing, recurrence and incontinence remained similar.

conclusionsMarsupialisation of fistulotomy wounds for simple fistula-in-ano is associated with a significantly shorter healing time, but similar recurrence, pain scores at 24 h and incontinence rates, compared with omitting marsupialisation.

Indexed as

Neoplasm Recurrence, LocalRectal FistulaAdultHumansMaleMiddle AgedRecurrenceTreatment OutcomeWound HealingFistula-in-anoFistulotomyHealingIncontinenceMarsupialisationRecurrence

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.