Table 1.

Study characteristics and outcomes of interest reported by each of the included studies

	Reference	Design	I	C	FemalesN (%)	Matching	Stoma indication	Study quality	Complications of stoma construction	Complications of stoma closure
Edwards et al.[35]	RCT	34	36	21 (30.0)	1, 2, 4, 5, 7	n/c	4	a3 a4, a5, a7	b1, b2, b4,
Law et al.[36]	RCT	42	38	31 (38.8)	1, 2, 4, 5,6, 7, 8	c	4	a1, a3, a4, a5, a9, a11	b1, b3
Gastinger et al.[37]	PNR	407	229	n/c	1, 2, 4, 5	n/c	****		b1, b3, b5
Rullier et al.[38]	RET	107	60	46 (27.5)	1, 2, 3, 4,5, 7	a, b	******	a1, a2, a3, a4, a5, a6, a7, a8, a9, a10	b1, b2, b3, b4, b5
Mala et al.[39]	RET	62	10	32 (44)	1, 2, 4, 6,	c	*****	a1, a5, a11	b1, b2, b3, b4, b5

I, ileostomy; C, colostomy; PNR, prospective non-randomized; RET, retrospective; RCT, randomized controlled trial; n/c, no comment. 1, age; 2, gender, 3, body mass index; 4, diagnosis of rectal cancer, 5, tumor level; 6, anastomosis level; 7, tumor stage; 8, anastomosis method; a, poor bowel preparation; b, technical anastomotic problem; c, anastomosis <6cm.

Complications of stoma construction: dehydration (a1); necrosis (a2); prolapse (a3); retraction (a4); parastomal hernia (a5); stenosis (a6); sepsis (a7); haemorrhage (a8); skin irritation (a9); obstruction (a10); anastomotic leak or fistula (a11).

Complications of stoma closure: obstruction (b1); wound infection (b2); anastomotic leak or fistula (b3); incisional hernia (b4); death (b5).