Meta-analysis of platelet-rich plasma therapy for anal fistula

Abstract

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in treating anal fistula.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled studies (RCTs) and case-control studies published before June 2021 on evaluating the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in treating anal fistula. References of the journals were manually searched for relevant studies. Literature search, screening, data extraction, and bias assessment were carried out by two researcher independently. Stata13.0 and RevMan 5.3 software were used for statistical analysis of the cure rate and recurrence rate of anal fistula.

Results: A total of 6 case-control studies and 3 RCTs involving 289 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that the pooled cure rate of all studies was 65% (95% CI 0.53-0.77), p = 0.000, and the pooled recurrence rate of all studies was 12% (95% CI 0.08-0.17).

Conclusion: Platelet-rich plasma is safe and effective in treating anal fistula and should be promoted and further studied in clinical practice.

Keywords: anal fistula; efficacy; meta-analysis; platelet-rich plasma; randomized controlled trial.