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.