OBJECTIVETo compare the safety and efficacy of procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids (PPH) with Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy (MMH) in the treatment of prolapsed hemorrhoids.

METHODSAll the randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing PPH with MMH in the treatment of prolapsed hemorrhoids published between January 1998 and January 2015 were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, Wangfang, VIP databases. Hand search was applied in Chinese Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Chinese Journal of Coloproctology and Journal of Colorectal and Anal Surgery from the library of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Associated reference documents in enrolled trials were reviewed. The methodological quality of enrolled trials was evaluated according to the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software.

RESULTSixteen RCTs recruiting 1411 patients were identified. Among them, 702 patients underwent PPH, and other 709 patients MMH. Meta-analysis showed that as compared to MMH, PPH had shorter operating time(WMD=-12.34, 95% CI:-17.87 to -6.80, P=0.000], shorter hospital stay (WMD=-1.48, 95% CI: -1.81 to -1.14, P=0.000) and shorter time to recover normal activity (WMD=-14.11, 95% CI: -24.51 to -3.70, P=0.008). Patients in PPH group experienced less pain at postoperative 24 h, postoperative 1 week and the first postoperative bowel movement (all P<0.01). PPH was more ascendant in terms of the requirement for analgesics(P<0.01). PPH group had higher ratio of wound-healing 2 weeks after surgery (RR=0.19, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.51, P=0.001), lower ratio of postoperative anal stenosis (RR=0.39, 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.99, P=0.050) and lower ratio of anal incontinence (RR=0.62, 95% CI: 0.38 to 1.01, P=0.050), but higher ratio of recurrent disease after 1 year (RR=2.54, 95% CI: 1.21 to 5.31, P=0.010). No significant differences in ratios of postoperative bleeding, urinary retention, and postoperative morbidity of complication were found(all P>0.05). Satisfaction degree of patients in PPH group was better than that in MMH group (OR=2.36, 95% CI:1.36 to 4.07, P=0.002).

CONCLUSIONProcedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids offers some short-term benefits over Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy, but is associated with a higher rate of recurrent disease.