Table 2.
Overview of specifications of the 26 included studies and their risk of bias assessment
| References | Total, N | ES, n | TES, n | ELS, n | H, n | Incl criteria | Gender | Age | Tumor location | Tumor stage | Treatment details | Time post TL | Acoustic outcomes | Perceptual outcomes | PROs | Clear tables and figures | Reliability checks | Blinding | < 30% loss- | Risk of Bias [26] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arias et al. [27] | 60 | 20 | 20 | – | 20 | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Bellandese et al. [32] | 26 | 9 | 7 | – | 10 | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | – | N | B |
| Blood [33] | 30 | 10 | 10 | – | 10 | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Carello and Magnano [34] | 14 | 7 | 7 | – | – | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Crosetti et al. [42] | 24 | – | 12 | – | 12 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | A |
| De Maddalena et al. [43] | 88 | 28 | 53 | 7 | – | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | B |
| DeBruyne et al. [44] | 24 | 12 | 12 | – | – | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | N | – | Y | B |
| Deore et al. [29] | 60 | – | 30 | – | 30 | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Eadie et al. [41] | 36 | 2 | 23 | 11 | – | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | A |
| Evans et al. [45] | 49 | 12 | 26 | 11 | – | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | – | N | Y | B |
| Finizia et al. [30] | 22 | – | 12 | – | 10 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | – | Y | B |
| Granda et al. [31] | 18 | 10 | 8 | – | – | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Kinishi and Amatsu [35] | 35 | 5 | 20 | – | 10 | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Law et al. [46] | 34 | 7 | 13 | 14 | – | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | B |
| Maccallum et al. [47] | 20 | 10 | – | – | 10 | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Merol et al. [36] | 59 | 30 | 29 | – | – | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | – | – | Y | B |
| Miralles and Cervera [48] | 40 | 10 | 20 | – | 10 | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | B |
| Mourkabel et al. [49] | 75 | 15 | 42 | 18 | – | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | – | – | Y | B |
| Ng et al. [50] | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | – | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | B |
| Robbins et al. [37] | 45 | 15 | 15 | – | 15 | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Rosso et al. [51] | 48 | 13 | 20 | 15 | – | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | – | – | Y | B |
| Salturk et al. [52] | 96 | 24 | 57 | 15 | – | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Shim et al. [28] | 40 | 20 | – | – | 20 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | – | Y | A |
| Siric et al. [38] | 20 | 10 | 10 | – | – | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | – | Y | B |
| Tiple et al. [53] | 49 | 17 | 14 | 18 | – | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | B |
| Williams and Watson [54] | 43 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | B |
Answers are indicated by: Y yes, the study fulfilled the criterion; N no, the study did not fulfill the criterion; – insufficient information provided or the study did not address the particular outcome. In bold the publications rated with level A (low risk of bias) in the risk of bias analysis
ES esophageal speakers, TES tracheoesophageal speakers, H healthy speakers, TL total laryngectomy, PROs patient-reported outcomes