Table 5.

Database	Search strategy
MEDLINE	#1 (Ligation) OR (band* or ligat*)
	#2 (N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate) OR cyanoacrylate
	#3 ((((Gastric Varices) OR gastric varic*) OR (portal hypertension* or cirrho*)) OR Liver-Cirrhosis) OR hypertension-portal
	#4 #1 AND #2 AND #3
EMBASE	#1 exp LIGATION/
	#2 (band* or ligat*). mp. [mp = title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer, device trade name, keyword]
	#3 1 or 2
	#4 exp cyanoacrylate/
	#5 exp N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate/
	#6 (cyanoacrylate or N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate). mp. [mp = title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer, device trade name, keyword]
	#7 4 or 5 or 6
	#8 exp gastric varices/
	#9 (gastric and varic*). mp. [mp = title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer, device trade name, keyword]
	#10 exp portal-hypertension/
	#11 exp liver-cirrhosis/
	#12 (portal hypertension* or cirrho*). mp. [mp = title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer, device trade name, keyword]
	#13 8 or 9 or 10 or 11 or 12
	#14 3 and 7 and 13
Cochrane Library	#1 MeSH descriptor Ligation explode all trees
	#2 band* or ligat*
	#3 MeSH descriptor Cyanoacrylate explode all trees
	#4 cyanoacrylate or N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate
	#5 MeSH descriptor Gastric Varices explode all trees
	#6 gastric varic*
	#7 MeSH descriptor Hypertension, Portal explode all trees
	#8 MeSH descriptor Liver Cirrhosis explode all trees
	#9 portal hypertension* or cirrho*
	#10 (#1 or #2)
	#11 (#3 or #4)
	#12 (#5 or #6 or #7 or #8 or #9)
	#13 (#10 and #11 and #12)
Google Scholar	“cyanoacrylate” AND “band ligation” AND “gastric varices” AND “cirrhosis”