Table 1.

Characteristics of studies included in the meta-analysis

	Year	Country	Duration	II/III degree ratio	Total nr of patients	M/F ratio	Mean age (years)	Arms	Intervention	RBL	Haem	Technique RBL	Technique haem	Symptoms		Mean follow-up	Lost to follow-up
														Bleeding	Soiling
Ali	2005	Pakistan	7 months	20/80	100	1.3:1	50	2	RBL vs. haem	50	50	2 bands per pile, 1 session	Milligan-Morgan	90	42	Till discharge	N/A
Asghar Khan	2013	Pakistan	18 months	55/65	120	1:0.2	39	2	RBL vs. haem	60	60	2 bands per pile	Milligan-Morgan	N/A	N/A	6 months	N/A
Bakhtawar	2017	Pakistan	5 months	255/279	534	1:0.2	43	2	RBL vs. haem	267	267	2 bands per pile	Milligan-Morgan	455	66	N/A	N/A
Cheng	1981	China	14 months	120/0	120	1:0.9	42	4	RBL vs. haem vs. sclerotherapy vs. anal dilatation	30	30	2 bands per pile	Milligan-Morgan	82	N/A	N/A	N/A
Izadpanah	2010	Iran	20 months	72/78	150	1:1.5	40	3	RBL vs. haem vs electrotherapy	51	47	N/A	Ferguson	120	N/A	3 months	N/A
Lewis	1983	England	35 months	23/33	56	1:0.8	48	3	RBL vs. haem vs. cryotherapy vs. anal dilatation	30	26	Max 3 bands, max 3 sessions	Milligan-Morgan	N/A	N/A	N/A	4
Murie	1980	Scotland	24 months	32/56	88	1:0.5	52	2	RBL vs. haem	43	45	2 bands per pile	Milligan-Morgan	84	–	12 months	4
Saeed	2017	Pakistan	39 months	60/80	140	1:0.2	41	2	RBL vs. haem	70	70	Max 2 bands per pile, 1 session	Milligan-Morgan	115	16	N/A	N/A

haem haemorrhoidectomy