Spin is present in the majority of articles evaluating robot-assisted groin hernia repair: a systematic review

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewResearchpeer-review

Background: The number of scientific articles published each year is increasing, resulting in greater competition to get work published. Spin is defined as specific reporting strategies used to distort the readers’ interpretation of results so that they are viewed more favorable. However, prevalence of spin in studies comparing robot-assisted groin hernia repair with traditional methods is unknown. Objectives/aim: To determine the frequency and extent of spin in studies assessing robot-assisted groin hernia repair. Methods: This systematic review was reported according to PRISMA guidelines, and a protocol was registered at PROSPERO before data extraction. Database search included PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central. Results: Of 35 included studies, spin was present in 57%. Within these, 95% had spin present in the abstract and 80% in the conclusion of the article. There was no association between study size and spin (p > 0.05). However, presence of spin in studies positively minded towards robot-assisted hernia repair was higher (p < 0.001) compared with those against or being neutral in their view of the procedure. Furthermore, being funded by or receiving grants from Intuitive Surgical were associated with a higher prevalence of spin (p < 0.05) compared with those who were not. Conclusion: Spin was found to be common in articles reporting on robot-assisted groin hernia repair, and presence of spin was higher in studies funded by or receiving grants from the robot company. This suggests that readers should be cautious when reading similar literature.

Original languageEnglish
JournalSurgical Endoscopy
Volume36
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)2271-2278
Number of pages8
ISSN0930-2794
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

    Research areas

  • DaVinci, Femoral hernia, Groin hernia, Inguinal hernia, Robot-assisted, Spin

ID: 322951120