Pharyngocutaneous Fistula after Laryngectomy: An Umbrella Systematic Review to Uncover Lacunae in Meta-Analyses

• Main Authors: Karthik Nagaraja Rao (Author), Ripudaman Arora (Author), Ambesh Singh (Author), Prajwal Dange (Author), Nitin M. Nagarkar (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2023-10-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/ohbm4020011; 2504-463X
• Keywords: laryngeal cancer; laryngectomy; pharyngocutaneous fistula; complications; meta-analysis; Internal medicine; RC31-1245
• Source: Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, Hearing and Balance Medicine, Vol 4, Iss 2, p 11 (2023)

Objective-The objective of this study was to systematically assess meta-analyses to determine the lacunae in the literature for PCF following laryngectomy. Methods-Bibliometric analysis were carried out on meta-analyses on PCF after total laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer in the PubMed database. Results-Twenty-four meta-analyses were considered eligible and chosen for analysis. Six meta-analyses (25%) focused on the risk factors for PCF in TL. Four meta-analyses (16.6%) focused on the role of the onlay flap. Four meta-analyses (16.6%) focused on the timing of feed initiation. Three meta-analyses (12.5%) focused on using a stapler for pharyngeal closure. Two meta-analyses focused on types of pharyngeal reconstruction. Other meta-analyses analyzed the use of salivary bypass tubes, the method of pharyngeal closure, organ preservation protocols on PCF, primary and secondary TEP, and the effect of non-surgical treatment on PCF. Conclusion-Despite plenty of published meta-analyses, there is a lack of scrutiny on certain critical aspects of PCF.