The Efficacy and Safety of Ureteric Stent Removal with Strings versus No Strings: Which Is Better?

Table 1

Summary of comparative studies included in meta-analysis.

Study	Country	Study design	Intervention		Sample size		LE	Study quality
			Trial	Control	Trial	Control
Barnes et al. 2014 [8]	USA	RCT	String	Cystoscopy	33	35	2a	4
Bates et al. 2019 [16]	UK	CCT	String	Cystoscopy	60	30	2b	7^#
Chu et al. 2019 [17]	China	RCT	String	Cystoscopy	49	59	2a	3
Doersch et al. 2018 [18]	USA	CCT	String	Cystoscopy	94	349	2b	8^#
Fröhlich et al. 2017 [10]	Switzerland	CCT	String	Cystoscopy	127	215	2b	7^#
Inoue et al. 2019 [11]	Japan	RCT	String	Cystoscopy	74	75	2a	3
Kim et al. 2015 [19]	Korea	RCT	String	Cystoscopy	58	56	2a	3
Liu et al. 2018 [20]	China	RCT	String	Cystoscopy	58	82	2a	3
Lynch et al. 2020 [21]	Ireland	CCT	String	Cystoscopy	62	98	2b	8^#
Ye et al. 2016 [22]	China	RCT	String	Cystoscopy	65	59	2a	3
Zhang et al. 2012 [23]	China	RCT	String	Cystoscopy	37	34	2a	3

RCT: randomized controlled trial; CCTs: case-control trials; LE: level of evidence. Using the Jadad scale (score from 0 to 5). ^#Using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (score from 0 to 9).