The Effect of Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Therapy within 12 Weeks Prior to Surgery on Postoperative Complications in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The rate of abdominal surgical interventions and associated postoperative complications in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients is still substantially high. There is an ongoing debate as to whether or not patients who undergo treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) agents may have an increased risk for general and surgical postoperative complications. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in order to assess the effect of anti-TNF-α treatment within 12 weeks (washout period) prior to abdominal surgery on 30-day postoperative complications in patients with IBD. The results of previously published meta-analyses examining the effect of preoperative anti-TNF-α treatment on postoperative complications reported conflicting findings which is why we specifically focus on the effect of anti-TNF-α treatment within 12 weeks prior to surgery. PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, World Health Organization Trial Registry, ClinicalTrials.gov and reference lists were searched (June 1995–February 2022) to identify studies, investigating effects of anti-TNF-α treatment prior to abdominal surgery on postoperative complications in IBD patients. Pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated and subgroup analyses were performed. In this case, 55 cohort studies (22,714 patients) were included. Overall, postoperative complications (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.04–1.45; p = 0.02), readmission (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.11–1.73; p = 0.004), and intra-abdominal septic complications (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.44–2.49; p < 0.00001) were significantly higher for anti-TNF-α-treated patients. Significantly higher intra-abdominal abscesses and readmission were found for anti-TNF-α-treated CD patients (p = 0.05; p = 0.002). Concomitant treatment with immunosuppressives in <50% of anti-TNF-α-treated patients was associated with significantly lower mortality rates (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.12–0.83; p = 0.02). Anti-TNF-α treatment within 12 weeks prior to surgery is associated with higher short-term postoperative complication rates (general and surgical) for patients with IBD, especially CD.