Table 1. Summary of scores using Drummond 10-point checklist and overall strength of evidence for 36 surgical interventions.
| Number of articles in Drummond score rangea: | Strength of Evidenceb | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intervention category | 0–6.5 | 7–8.5 | 9–10 | Total articles | |
| Cardiac surgery: congenital heart defects [85–94] | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 | High |
| General Surgery: inguinal hernia repair [29, 35–39] | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | High |
| Ophthalmology: trichiasis surgery [54–56] | - | - | 3 | 3 | High |
| Orthopedics: various procedures [44,67–73] | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 | High |
| PRS: cleft lip & palate [58–65] | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | High |
| Urology: circumcision [45–49] | 2 | - | 3 | 5 | High |
| Ophthalmology: cataract repair [56,80–83] | 4 | - | 1 | 5 | Moderate |
| Neurosurgery: hydrocephalus [66] | - | - | 1 | 1 | Moderate |
| Cardiac surgery: mediastinitis treatment [104] | - | 1 | - | 1 | Low |
| ENT: middle ear reconstruction [99] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| ENT: cochlear implantation [111] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| ENT: various procedures [44] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| General Surgery: anorectal reconstruction [28] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| General Surgery: appendectomy [29–32] | 3 | 1 | - | 4 | Low |
| General Surgery: Buruli ulcer [98] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| General Surgery: choledochal cyst excision [105] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| General Surgery: cystic echinococcosis [95–97] | 2 | 1 | - | 3 | Low |
| General Surgery: Hirschsprung’s repair [27] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| General Surgery: iliopsoas abscess [40] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| General Surgery: kidney transplantation [106] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| General Surgery: removal of ureteral stents [110] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| General Surgery: splenectomy [107, 108] | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | Low |
| General Surgery: various procedures [26,44,50] | 2 | 1 | - | 3 | Low |
| Neurosurgery: epilepsy procedures [78,79] | 2 | - | - | 2 | Low |
| Neurosurgery: frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocoele [51–53] | 3 | - | - | 3 | Low |
| Neurosurgery: various procedures [44,57] | 2 | - | - | 2 | Low |
| Ophthalmology: corneal ulcers [84] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| Ophthalmology: ocular trauma [42] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| Ophthalmology: retinopathy of prematurity [109] | - | 1 | - | 1 | Low |
| Orthopedics: amputation [103] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| Orthopedics: clubfoot treatment [33,34] | 2 | - | - | 2 | Low |
| Orthopedics: leg fractures [74–77] | 3 | 1 | - | 4 | Low |
| PRS: burn treatment [100–103] | 4 | - | - | 4 | Low |
| PRS: various procedures [43,44] | 2 | - | - | 2 | Low |
| Urology: genital reconstruction [41] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
| Urology: various procedures [44] | 1 | - | - | 1 | Low |
Abbreviations include: PRS plastic & reconstructive surgery; ENT ear, nose & throat.
a Articles graded using the Drummond 10-point checklist to assess methodological quality of economic assessments.[18]
b Strength of evidence determined by adapting the Evidence-Based Practice Centers of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grading scale.[19] Ratings were assigned based on the quality, quantity, and consistency of the evidence in the literature.