Appendix stump closure during laparoscopic appendectomy
Appendices
Appendix 1. Search strategy for The Cochrane Library
#1 MeSH descriptor Appendectomy explode all trees
#2 MeSH descriptor Appendicitis explode all trees
#3 (appendectom* or appendic*):ti,ab,kw
#4 (#1 OR #2 OR #3)
#5 MeSH descriptor Laparoscopy explode all trees
#6 (Laparoscopy*):ti,ab,kw
#7 (#5 OR #6)
#8 (#4 AND #7)
#9 MeSH descriptor Surgical Staplers explode all trees
#10 MeSH descriptor Surgical Instruments explode all trees
#11 MeSH descriptor Sutures explode all trees
#12 MeSH descriptor Ligation explode all trees
#13 MeSH descriptor Polymers explode all trees
#14 stump OR stapl* OR Suture* OR Polymer* OR GIA OR loop* OR Roder OR Roeder OR clip
#15 (#9 OR #10 OR #11 OR #12 OR #13 OR #14)
#16 (#8 AND #15)
Appendix 2. Search strategy for Medline (Ovid)
1. exp Appendectomy/
2. exp Appendicitis/
3. (appendectom* or appendic*).mp. [mp=protocol supplementary concept, rare disease supplementary concept, title, original title, abstract, name of substance word, subject heading word, unique identifier]
4. 1 or 2 or 3
5. exp Laparoscopy/
6. Laparoscop*.mp.
7. 5 or 6
8. 4 and 7
9. stump.mp.
10. loop*.mp.
11. Ligation.mp.
12. Polymers.mp.
13. stapl*.mp. or exp Suture Techniques/
14. Roeder.mp. or exp Suture Techniques/
15. Roder.mp.
16. exp Surgical Staplers/ or GIA.mp.
17. clip.mp. or exp Surgical Instruments/
18. 9 or 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17
17. 8 and 16
18. randomized controlled trial.pt.
19. controlled clinical trial.pt.
20. randomized.ab.
21. placebo.ab.
22. clinical trial.sh.
23. randomly.ab.
24. trial.ti.
25. 18 or 19 or 20 or 21 or 22 or 23 or 24
26. humans.sh.
27. 25 and 26
28. 17 and 27
Appendix 3. Search strategy for EMBASE (Ovid)
1. exp appendectomy/
2. exp acute appendicitis/
3. exp appendicitis/
4. (appendectom* or appendic*).mp.
5. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4
6. exp Laparoscopy/
7. (Laparoscop* or Laparos*).mp.
8. 6 or 7
9. exp stapler/
10. exp Surgical Instrument/
11. exp Suture/
12. exp Ligation/
13. exp Polymer/
14. exp clip/
15. (stump or Roeder or Roder or GIA or loop*).mp.
16. 9 or 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15
17. 5 and 8 and 16
18. randomized controlled trial/
19. randomization/
20. controlled study/
21. multicenter study/
22. phase 3 clinical trial/
23. phase 4 clinical trial/
24. double blind procedure/
25. single blind procedure/
26. ((singl* or doubl* or trebl* or tripl*) adj (blind* or mask*)).ti,ab.
27. (random* or cross* over* or factorial* or placebo* or volunteer*).ti,ab.
28. 23 or 20 or 24 or 26 or 19 or 25 or 21 or 18 or 27 or 22
29. "human*".ti,ab.
30. (animal* or nonhuman*).ti,ab.
31. 30 and 29
32. 30 not 31
33. 28 not 32
34. 17 and 33
Appendix 4. Search strategy for Science Citation Index Expanded
#1 Topic=(appendectom* OR appendic*)
#2 Topic=(Laparoscop*)
#3 Topic=(stump OR loop* OR stapl* OR Roede* OR Rode* OR GIA OR clip* OR Surgical Instruments* OR Suture* OR Polymers* OR Ligation)
#4 Topic=(random* OR controlled OR RCT OR placebo OR trial OR group* OR trial*)
#5 AND #4 AND #3 AND #2 AND #1
Data collection form (Microsoft Word)
| Domain | Support for judgement | Review authors’ judgement |
| Random sequence generation. | Describe the method used to generate the allocation sequence in sufficient detail to allow an assessment of whether it should produce comparable groups. | Selection bias (biased allocation to interventions) due to inadequate generation of a randomised sequence: High risk/Low risk/Unclear risk? |
| Allocation concealment. | Describe the method used to conceal the allocation sequence in sufficient detail to determine whether intervention allocations could have been foreseen in advance of, or during, enrolment. | Selection bias (biased allocation to interventions) due to inadequate concealment of allocations prior to assignment: High risk/Low risk/Unclear risk? |
| Blinding of participants and personnel. | Describe all measures used, if any, to blind study participants and personnel from knowledge of which intervention a participant received. Provide any information relating to whether the intended blinding was effective. | Performance bias due to knowledge of the allocated interventions by participants and personnel during the study: High risk/Low risk/Unclear risk? |
| Blinding of outcome assessment. | Describe all measures used, if any, to blind outcome assessors from knowledge of which intervention a participant received. Provide any information relating to whether the intended blinding was effective. | Detection bias due to knowledge of the allocated interventions by outcome assessors: High risk/Low risk/Unclear risk? |
| Incomplete outcome data. | Describe the completeness of outcome data for each main outcome, including attrition and exclusions from the analysis. State whether attrition and exclusions were reported, the numbers in each intervention group (compared with total randomised participants), reasons for attrition/exclusions where reported, and any re‐inclusions in analyses performed by the review authors. | Attrition bias due to amount, nature or handling of incomplete outcome data: High risk/Low risk/Unclear risk? |
| Selective reporting. | State how the possibility of selective outcome reporting was examined by the review authors, and what was found. | Reporting bias due to selective outcome reporting: High risk/Low risk/Unclear risk? |
| Other sources of bias. | State any important concerns about bias not addressed in the other domains in the tool. | Bias due to problems not covered elsewhere in the table: High risk/Low risk/Unclear risk? |
