Non-Elective Surgery for Acute Complicated Diverticulitis. Primary Resection-Anastomosis or Hartmann’s Procedure? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: The use of Primary Resection-Anastomosis with or without protective ileostomy (PRA) or Hartmann’s Procedure (HP) in the surgery of complicated acute diverticulitis is still an open question. The latest published meta-analyses were limited to the most severe stages (Hinchey III and IV). Our systematic review aimed to compare PRA with the HP in all non-elective surgical patients with complicated acute diverticulitis (perforation or obstruction). Methods: A computerized literature search was performed on Medline databases until July 2014. The studies included in the meta-analysis were 24 with a total of 4,062 patients. Study outcomes included postoperative surgical complications, reintervention, 30-day mortality, overall mortality as well as the length of stay as secondary outcome. The pooled effects were estimated using a fixed effect model or random effect model based on the heterogeneity test. Results were expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for dichotomous outcomes and as mean difference (MD) with 95% CI for continuous outcomes. Subgroup analyses by study type were performed. Results: The PRA group had a lower rate of postoperative surgical complications (OR=0.525, 95% CI 0.387-0.713), reintervention (OR=0.688, 95% CI 0.525-0.902), 30-day mortality (OR=0.389, 95% CI 0.259-0.586), overall mortality (OR=0.467, 95% CI 0.272-0.803) and length of stay (MD=9.129, 95% CI 2.391-15.867) compared to the HP group. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis shows that the PRA technique is better than HP for all considered outcomes. Due to the high variability of the included studies, further randomized controlled trials would be required to confirm these results.