Objective:To compare the therapeutic effects of surgical resection combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and TKI alone in patients with recurrent or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).Methods:Literature was searched in databases such as PubMed and Web of Science, and relevant literature on the application of surgical resection combined with TKI and TKI alone in patients with recurrent or metastatic GIST was selected strictly according to inclusion criteria. Meta analysis was conducted on the survival benefits of patients, including progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).Results:A total of 647 patients from 8 studies were included in this meta-analysis, with 6 studies conducted in Asia and 2 in Europe. The Newcastle Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale scores were all ≥6. Eight studies were conducted to evaluate the overall survival of patients treated with surgical resection combined with TKI and TKI alone, with four studies simultaneously assessing PFS. The meta-analysis results showed that compared with TKI treatment alone, surgical resection combined with TKI treatment significantly improved the overall survival (OS) of patients with recurrent or metastatic GIST ( P<0.001). Conclusions:For patients with recurrent or metastatic GIST, compared to simple TKI treatment, surgical resection of residual lesions after TKI (such as imatinib) control of the condition brings significant survival benefits to patients. Combining surgical intervention with TKI treatment should be considered a feasible treatment strategy to improve the prognosis of patients with recurrent or metastatic GIST.