Erschienen in:
01.10.2012 | Invited commentary
Meta-analyses of lightweight versus conventional (heavy weight) mesh in inguinal hernia surgery
verfasst von:
M. Ashraf Memon, S. Khan, E. Osland
Erschienen in:
Hernia
|
Ausgabe 5/2012
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Excerpt
In a simplistic term, meta-analysis is described as “
a statistical analysis that combines or integrates the results of several independent clinical trials considered by the analyst to be combinable”. It requires the same methodological rigor that is applied to other forms of research [
1]. It is increasingly reported to measure various effects sizes in the medical literature to establish with statistical confidence the risks and benefits of a particular clinical intervention [
1‐
3]. It offers the advantage of integrating the results of independent clinical trials investigating comparable interventions by determining an average effect size for the combined data. This allows data from small studies, that alone offer limited guidance to clinical practice, to be incorporated into evidence-based recommendations [
1‐
3].
Its object is to present a balanced, precise and impartial summary of the existing research outcomes on a particular topic. …