Table I.
Clinical data of patients (n = 87).
| Mechanical suture (n = 20) | Manual suture (n = 67) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender (M/F) | 19/1 | 61/6 | 0.51 |
| Age (years) | 62.0 ± 11.1 | 62.0 ± 11.2 | 1.00 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 1/20 | 3/67 | 1.00 |
| Smoking | 19/20 | 65/67 | 1.00 |
| Alcohol assumption | |||
| Clinical staging | |||
| T2 | 4 | 3 | < 0.001 |
| T3 | 12 | 46 | 0.01 |
| T4a | 4 | 18 | 0.05 |
| Primary tumour site | 1.00 | ||
| Supraglottic | 3 | 10 | |
| Glottic | 17 | 57 | |
| Hypoglottic | 0 | 0 | |
| Previous tracheotomy | 13 | 17 | < 0.001 |
| Previous radiation therapy | 15 | 15 | < 0.001 |
| Neck dissection | |||
| No | 3 | 3 | 0.003 |
| Unilateral selective | 2 | 2 | 0.04 |
| Bilateral selective | 12 | 12 | < 0.001 |
| Unilateral radical | 1 | 9 | 0.02 |
| Bilateral radical | 2 | 41 | < 0.001 |