Preoperative Embolization Versus Direct Surgery of Meningiomas: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Preoperative embolization (POE) of meningioma has been established to facilitate surgical resection, which may reduce intraoperative blood loss and surgical time. However, no consensus has been achieved in meningioma treatment and no meta-analysis has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis and provide evidence of the efficacy of meningioma treatment with POE and direct surgery.

Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A systematic search was performed using PubMed and EMBASE. Meta-analysis was performed using the risk ratio of overall complication, mean difference (MD) of blood loss, and surgical time. The I² statistic was used to assess the heterogeneity.

Results: Eight studies (1 randomized controlled trial and 7 non-randomized controlled trials) were included, in which 510 patients met the inclusion criteria. We found that preoperative embolization for patients with meningioma did not increase the overall complication rate (risk ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61-1.38) and can significantly reduce intraoperative blood loss (MD = -65.10, 95% CI -124.76 to -20.82) and surgical time (MD = -38.48, 95% CI -64.03 to -12.93) compared with the control patients. No significant publication bias was observed.

Conclusions: This meta-analysis supports the hypothesis that POE of meningioma is a useful adjunct in meningioma treatment. This technique helps reduce blood loss and surgical time during meningioma resection.