Efficacy and safety of micronized purified flavonoid fractions for the treatment of postoperative hemorrhoid complications: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hemorrhoids, a common anorectal disease, seriously affects patients’ quality of life. Micronized purified flavonoid fractions (MPFF) have been shown to improve hemorrhoid symptoms. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of MPFF in treating postoperative hemorrhoid complications. A systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature on natural compounds for treating postoperative complications of hemorrhoids. A literature search was conducted using five databases, namely PubMed, WanFang, CNKI, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of MPFF treatment on hemorrhoids. Stata 15.1 and Revman 15.4 were used to assess the data, while subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate potential heterogeneity, and trial sequential analysis (TSA) and Egger test were used to evaluate the reliability of each trial. A total of 22 RCTs, including 2,335 participants were included in the analysis. MPFF improved the clinical efficacy of post-hemorrhoidectomy and reduced the bleeding rate, pain score, and edema score, although no substantial effect on adverse reactions was reported. Subgroup analyses showed a significant reduction in pain score and bleeding rate in trials with duration of 4–10 days and an improvement in clinical efficacy. Treatment for ≥ 10 days significantly improved the edema score; a dosage range of 1,800–2,700 mg/day of MPFF significantly reduced edema and pain scores, whereas < 1,800 mg/day significantly improved clinical efficacy. Based on searching the relevant literatures, this is the first meta-analysis on MPFF treatment of postoperative hemorrhoid complications. Our findings, validated by TSA, suggest that MPFF is safe and effective in reducing postoperative hemorrhoid complications, and that dose and duration are key factors in its efficacy, as illustrated by subgroup analysis. However, due to the small sample size, the standardized treatment regimen of MPFF could not be obtained; therefore, further research is warranted.