Objective: To analyze the diagnostic accuracy of abdominal computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing internal herniation (IH) following Rouxen-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery.
Summary of background data: IH is one of the most important and challenging complications following RYGB. Therefore, early and adequate diagnosis of IH is necessary. Currently, exploratory surgery is considered the gold standard in diagnosing IH. Although CT scans are frequently being used, the true diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing IH remains unclear.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched for relevant articles describing the diagnostic accuracy of abdominal CT in diagnosing IH after RYGB. Data were extracted, recalculated, and pooled to report on the overall diagnostic accuracy of CT in diagnosing IH, and the diagnostic accuracy of specific radiological signs.
Results: A total of 20 studies describing 1637 patients were included. seventeen studies provided data regarding the overall diagnostic accuracy: pooled sensitivity of 82.0%, specificity of 84.8%, positive predictive value of 82.7%, and negative predictive value of 85.8% were calculated. Eleven studies reported on specific CT signs and their diagnostic accuracy. The radiological signs with the highest sensitivity were the signs of venous congestion, swirl, and mesenteric oedema (sensitivity of 78.7%, 77.8%, and 67.2%, respectively).
Conclusions: This meta-analysis demonstrates that CT is a reliable imaging modality for the detection of IH. Therefore, abdominal CT imaging should be added to the diagnostic work-up for RYGB patients who present themselves with abdominal pain suggestive of IH to improve patient selection for explorative surgery.
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