No abstract

BACKGROUND:The purpose of this study is to compare the difference of incidence of post-operative complications, operative time, length of stay and recurrence of patients undergoing laparoscopic or open repair of their ventral/incisional hernia a meta-analytic technique for observational studies.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A literature search was performed using Medline, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases for studies reported between 1998 and 2009 comparing laparoscopic and open surgery for the treatment of ventral (incisional) hernia. This meta-analysis of all the observational studies compared the post-operative complications recurrence rate and length of stay. The random effects model was used. Sensitivity and heterogeneity were analysed.RESULTS:Analysis of 15 observational studies comprising 2452 patients qualified for meta-analysis according to the study's inclusion criteria. Laparoscopic surgery was attempted in 1067 out of 2452. The results showed that the length of stay (odds ratio [OR], – 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], – 1.09 to – 0.91; P < 0.00001) and operative time (OR, 59.33; 95% CI, 58.55 to 60.11; P < 0.00001) was significantly lower in the laparoscopic group. The results also showed that there was a significant reduction in the formation of abscesses (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.92; P = 0.03) and wound infections (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.82; P = 0.007) post-operatively. There is a trend which indicates that the recurrence of the hernia using laparoscopic repair versus open repair was overall lower with the laparoscopic repair (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.22 to 1.04; P = 0.06), however, this was not significant.CONCLUSION:Laparoscopic incisional hernia repair was associated with a reduced length of stay, operative time and lower incidence of abscess and wound infection post-operatively. This study also highlights the benefit of using observational studies as a form of research and its value as a tool in answering questions where large sample sizes of patient groups would be impossible to accumulate in a reasonable length of time.

BackgroundAllergic reactions to plant and animal derived food allergens can have serious consequences for sufferers and their families. The associated social, emotional and financial costs make it a priority to understand the best ways of managing such immune-mediated hypersensitivity responses. Conceptually, there are two main approaches to managing food allergy: those targeting immediate symptoms and those aiming to support long-term management of the condition. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology is developing guidelines about what constitutes an effective treatment for food allergies. As part of the guidelines development process, a systematic review is planned to examine published research about the management of food allergy in adults and children.MethodsSeven bibliographic databases were searched from their inception to September 30, 2012 for systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, quasi-randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, controlled before-and-after studies and interrupted time series. Experts were consulted for additional studies. There were no language or geographic restrictions. Studies were critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program and Cochrane EPOC Risk of Bias tools. Only studies where people had a diagnosis of food allergy or reported a history of food allergy were included. This means that many studies of conditions that may be caused by food allergy are omitted, because only research in people with an explicit diagnosis or history was eligible.DiscussionMany initiatives have been tested to treat the immediate symptoms of food allergy (acute management) and to deal with longer lasting symptoms or induce tolerability to potential allergens (long-term management). The best management strategies for people with food allergy are likely to depend on the type of allergy, symptom manifestations and age. There is a real need to increase the amount of high quality research devoted to treatment strategies for food allergy. Food allergy can be debilitating and is affecting an increasing number of children and adults. With such little known about how to effectively manage the condition and its manifestations, this appears a priority for future research.