Abdominal binders after abdominal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Surgical Recovery and Patient Outcomes
• Medical Device Efficacy
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Abdominal binders are commonly used post-surgery to alleviate pain and aid mobility.
• Current clinical guidelines lack strong evidence to recommend routine binder use.
• Uncertainty exists regarding the true efficacy and safety of abdominal binders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the efficacy of abdominal binders in managing postoperative pain.
• To assess the impact of abdominal binders on physical activity, specifically the 6-minute walk test.
• To determine the effect of abdominal binders on surgical site infection rates.

Main Methods:

• A random-effect meta-analysis was conducted.
• Data were synthesized from 27 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 2741 participants.
• Searches were performed across major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, etc.) up to December 2024, with GRADE certainty assessment.

Main Results:

• Abdominal binders reduced postoperative pain on both day 1 (moderate certainty) and day 7 (moderate certainty).
• Binder use improved 6-minute walk test distances on day 1 (high certainty) and day 7 (moderate certainty).
• A significant reduction in surgical site infections was observed in patients using binders (moderate certainty).

Conclusions:

• Abdominal binders demonstrate efficacy in improving postoperative pain and physical function.
• The use of abdominal binders is associated with a lower incidence of surgical site infections.
• Findings suggest that patients, surgeons, and healthcare providers should consider abdominal binders for abdominal surgery recovery.