by Cheng Tang, Zubing Mei Introduction Fecal incontinence after anal fistula surgery is a feared functional complication that can impair dignity, social participation, and quality of life. Reported rates vary widely across procedures and fistula phenotypes, and individual studies suggest multiple patient-, disease-, and surgery-related predictors.
However, the prognostic evidence remains dispersed, with inconsistent outcome definitions and variable adjustment for confounding. This protocol describes a systematic review and quantitative synthesis to identify factors associated with postoperative fecal incontinence after surgery for cryptoglandular anal fistula.
Methods and analysis The study will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidance. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and grey-literature sources will be searched from inception to January 11, 2026, without language restrictions.
Eligible studies will be cohort or case-control studies of adults undergoing surgery for cryptoglandular anal fistula that report new-onset or worsening postoperative fecal incontinence using validated scores or clearly defined clinical criteria at least 3 months after surgery.
PLOS ONE (Medicine) published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 09 Jun 2026.
The item focuses on Risk factors for fecal incontinence after surgery for cryptoglandular anal fistula: Protocol of a meta-analytic study.
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