Table 4.

Summary of primary and sensitivity analyses.

	Operating time (min) (MD [95% CI])	Intraoperative blood loss (mL) (MD [95% CI])	Drainage volume (mL) (MD [95% CI])	LOS (days) (MD [95% CI])	Complications (n) (RR [95% CI])	Patient transfusions (n) (RR [95% CI])
Primary analysis	−27.50 (−42.20, −12.81)	−93.15 (−125.29, −61.00)	−138.83 (−177.57, −100.10)	−0.63 (−2.48, 1.23)	0.58 (0.33, 1.02)	0.68 (0.38, 1.19)
Sensitivity analyses
Excluding “lower” quality studies∗ (Tsimoyiannis et al., 2002 [28], Chen, 2012 [20], and Inoue et al., 2012 [26])	−28.66 (−49.47, −7.85)	−79.20 (−118.09, −40.32)	−126.00 (−161.92, −90.08)	Too few studies (<2) to inform	0.41 (0.18, 0.92)	Too few studies (<2) to inform
Only monopolar electrosurgery (i.e., excluding suture ligation)	−45.15 (−58.96, −31.33)	−91.59 (−137.55, −45.62)	−93.55 (−114.08, −73.02)	Too few studies (<2) to inform	Too few studies (<2) to inform	Too few studies (<2) to inform
Excluding imputed data (Inoue et al., 2012 [26], Wilhelm, 2011 [23], and Lu et al., 2008 [24])	−27.62 (−43.84, −11.41)	−91.92 (−124.39, −59.45)	−157.39 (−196.50, −118.27)	−1.07 (−4.53, 2.40)	0.58 (0.33, 1.02)	0.68 (0.38, 1.19)

CI: confidence interval; LOS: length of stay; MD: mean difference; RR: relative risk.

  ^∗Lower quality study defined as ≥4 “unclear” or one “No” listed in any risk of bias assessment category.