Magnitude and associated factors of poor surgical treatment outcomes of bowel obstruction in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Bowel obstruction is a major surgical emergency associated with considerable postoperative morbidity and mortality, particularly in low-resource settings. Evidence on surgical outcomes in Ethiopia remains inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled magnitude of poor surgical treatment outcomes of bowel obstruction and identify associated factors. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, HINARI, AJOL, and google scholar was conducted. Observational studies reporting surgical outcomes among Ethiopian patients with bowel obstruction were included. Poor surgical outcomes were identified as postoperative complications and/or death in the hospital. A random effect meta-analysis model was used to calculate pooled prevalence and pooled odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed using standard statistical methods. Result: Twenty-one studies comprising 5,429 patients were included. The pooled prevalence of poor surgical treatment outcomes in Ethiopia was 24% (95% CI: 19%-28%), with substantial heterogeneity (I Conclusion and recommendations: The prevalence of poor surgical treatment outcomes of bowel obstruction in Ethiopia was relatively high. Early presentation, timely intervention, and strengthening perioperative care are critical to improving surgical outcomes.