Table 4.

Summary of postoperative complications

Complications	N	Sample size/Events		Statistics		Heterogeneity		Sub-group homogeneity	Publication bias
		MiniTh (n)	Sternotomy (n)	OR	95% CI p-value	χ2 test p-value	I2 test (%)	Q test p-value	Eggers test p-value
Mortality	18	6467 80	6530 110	1.37	0.96–1.92 0.06	0.76	8.6	0.05	0.850
Stroke	16	6367 68	6434 85	1.23	0.89–1.70 0.21	0.99	0	0.69	0.159
Reoperation for bleeding	14	5565 192	5632 180	0.91	0.73–1.12 0.38	0.41	0	0.43	0.765
Renal failure	14	5881 132	5948 202	1.67	1.06–2.62 0.03	0.04	46	0.81	0.276
Atrial fibrillation	14	5348 973	5415 1232	1.31	1.15–1.51 0.001	0.20	37	0.74	0.108
Blood transfusion	12	4756 1155	4823 1557	1.77	1.39–2.27 0.001	0.001	81	0.86	0.642
Prolonged ventilation	10	3140 96	3207 120	1.22	0.80–1.88 0.36	0.07	47	0.31	0.987
Wound infection	10	4415 38	4482 75	1.86	1.17–2.96 0.01	0.72	11	0.73	0.978
Mid-term mortality	8	2519 107	2555 164	1.50	1.09–2.08 0.01	0.51	24	0.72	0.174
Mid-term reoperation	7	2059 56	2106 45	0.76	0.50–1.15 0.19	0.65	0	0.41	0.266

N Number of series, MiniTh Mini-thoracotomy, CI Confidence interval, OR Odds ratio