Review Article- The Cochrane database of systematic reviews: A treasure house for evidence-based surgery

Surgeons, like other clinicians, are obliged to keep up-to-date with the rapidly expanding knowledge. The information explosion particularly in the electronic media, methodological problems associated with clinical trials in surgery and failure to appraise critically the existing knowledge has made application of high quality evidence in surgical decision-making difficult. This article examines the functioning and the role of Cochrane collaboration and in particular, the systematic reviews undertaken by it, in the assimilation and dissemination of robust evidence for use in evidence-based surgery.