Outcomes of different acute mesenteric ischemia therapies in the last 20 years: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Objective Acute mesenteric ischemia is a disease with high morbidity and mortality, and it is traditionally treated with open surgery. Endovascular therapy and hybrid techniques are alternative treatments that are also currently available. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the outcomes of the different treatment approaches in the last 20 years. Methods Studies on acute mesenteric ischemia that were indexed in PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE databases (from January 1, 2000, to April 1, 2021) were reviewed. All related retrospective observational studies and case series were included. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled estimates, and the results were reported as proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results In our study, a total of 2369 patients (in 39 studies) underwent endovascular, open surgery, or retrograde open mesenteric stenting. The pooled mortality estimates for open surgery, endovascular therapy, and retrograde open mesenteric stenting were 40% (95% CI, 0.33–0.47; I 2 = 84%), 26% (95% CI, 0.19–0.33; I 2 = 33%), and 32% (95% CI, 0.21–0.44; I 2 = 26%), respectively. Conclusions The mortality associated with open surgical treatment, endovascular therapy, and retrograde open mesenteric stenting tend to be similar in the last 20 years.