Published online May 26, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i15.3607
Peer-review started: January 3, 2021
First decision: February 11, 2021
Revised: February 25, 2021
Accepted: March 12, 2021
Article in press: March 12, 2021
Published online: May 26, 2021
The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer have been rapidly increasing in Asian countries, and inadequate bowel preparation is related to an increased risk of missed benign colorectal tumors and more discomfort for patients.
Simethicone is an effective and safe antifoaming agent for use during endoscopic procedures. A combination of simethicone and polyethylene glycol has been shown to improve the visualization of the bowel for colonoscopy.
We performed a meta-analysis to investigate its effect on the detection of benign colorectal tumors.
The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published.
A significant effect of simethicone for diminutive adenomas (< 10 mm) and the adenoma detection rate in the proximal colon were revealed in the group taking simethicone. Moreover, it was a significant finding that the low dose simethicone was as effective as the high dose one with respect to the detection of colorectal benign tumors.
The addition of simethicone to polyethylene glycol might improve the detection of diminutive adenomas in the right colon by colonoscopy in Asia. Low-dose simethicone was recommended for the detection of benign colorectal tumors.
We believe that simethicone might improve small adenoma detection rates, especially in the proximal colon for colonoscopy in Asians with low baseline adenoma detection rates.