2.1 Search strategy
A systematic review of published articles was conducted according to the
protocol specified by the Cochrane collaboration12 and
reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement for conducting
meta-analyses on intervention studies13. We searched
the following databases: PubMed via NCBI, the Cochrane Central Register
of Controlled Trials (no date restriction), Medline via Ovid (from 1966
to May 2020); Embase via Ovid (no date restriction) and China National
Knowledge Infrastructure for studies comparing the efficacy of tricuspid
valve detachment (TVD) and other surgical techniques in VSD repair. No
restriction was put onto publication type or reporting language.
Searching terms included: “ventricular septal defect,” “tricuspid
valve,” and “detachment.” Furthermore, conference proceedings of
important international conferences like Society of Thoracic Surgeons
(STS), American Heart Association (AHA) and European Society of
Cardiology (ESC) were also consulted.