Outcomes of Surgical versus Endovascular Treatment of Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistula: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (SDAVFs) are the most prevalent type of spinal vascular malformation and can lead to progressive neurological impairments if left untreated. Endovascular embolization and microsurgical resection are treatment options, although the optimal treatment method remains a subject of debate. Objective A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the endovascular and microsurgical treatment outcomes of SDAVFs. Methods An exhaustive literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, encompassing publications from 2014 to 2024. A total of 522 patients from seven studies (417 surgical and 105 endovascular) met the inclusion criteria. Information on post-treatment complications, recurrence/failure rates, and functional improvement as assessed by the Aminoff-Logue Scale (ALS) or modified ALS (mALS) was extracted. I 2 statistics were used to evaluate heterogeneity, and random-effects models were used to compute risk ratios (RRs) and odds ratios (ORs). Results Compared to endovascular intervention, surgical treatment was linked to significantly lower rates of recurrence or treatment failure (RR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.09–0.39; p < 0.001), especially in long-term follow-up and thoracic-level studies. With greater ALS/mALS gains and a higher percentage of patients achieving full or partial recovery, functional improvement favored surgery. Although complication types varied, complication rates were similar across modalities (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.48–1.49). Asymmetry in funnel plots indicated possible publication bias in favor of successful surgical outcomes. Conclusion For SDAVFs, surgical ligation provides better long-term results than endovascular embolization in terms of neurological recovery and recurrence prevention. Even though both procedures are usually safe, surgery is the recommended first-line course of action due to the higher failure and recurrence rates linked to embolization, especially in patients with operable anatomy and progressive symptoms.