BACKGROUND: Gangrenous sigmoid volvulus has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality.  This study was conducted to compare sigmoid resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) with sigmoid resection and end colostomy (Hartmann’s procedure) for gangrenous sigmoid volvulus.

METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis study design was employed to summarize retrospective cohort, prospective cohort, and randomised control trial studies published from inception to march 31, 2023. Searching was performed on Medline, CINAHAL, Web of Science, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov to locate eligible articles. Data searching, selection and screening, quality assessment of the included articles, and data extraction were done by two separate reviewers.  RevMan 5.4 software with a fixed-effect Mantel-Haenszel model and Stata version 14 were used to analyze the data. The protocol registered on PROSPERO registration website (CRD42023413367).

RESULTS: Ten cohort studies and one randomised control trial with 724 patients were found; all of them were rated as being of moderate quality. The overall mortality after RPA was 15% (95%CI: 11-19%), and after Hartmann’s procedure it was 19% (95%CI: 15-23%). Resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) for gangrenous sigmoid volvulus had slightly lower mortality rate than stoma (OR=0.98(95%CI: 0.68-1.42), p=0.07, I²=43%), which had no statistically significant difference. Resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) had a slightly higher morbidity rate than Hartmann’s procedure (OR=1.01(95%CI: 0.66-1.55), p=0.30, I²=18%), which had no statistically significant difference.

CONCLUSION: Sigmoid resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) and Hartmann’s procedure had no significant differences in mortality and morbidity for the treatment of gangrenous sigmoid volvulus. Choice of the intervention for gangrenous sigmoid volvulus should be individualized with consideration of different detrimental factors. 

KEYWORDS: sigmoid volvulus, gangrenous bowel, Primary resection and anastomosis. Stoma, Hartmann’s procedure