Figure 2. Meta-analysis of the short-term outcomes for rectal cancer. a) The operative time for RAS was significantly greater than that for LAS (p<0.00001; upper part). No significant difference was found in the intraoperative estimated blood loss (p=0.44; lower part). b) The occurrence rate of overall complications did not differ significantly between RAS and LAS (upper part). The occurrence rate of anastomotic leakage did not differ significantly between the two procedures (middle part). The occurence rate of ileus did not differ significantly between the two procedures (lower part). c) The rate of the patients undergoing the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was significantly higher in RAS than in LAS (first part). The rate of the patients with lower rectal cancer was significantly higher in RAS than in LAS (second part). The distance from anal verge to the lower margin of tumor was significantly shorter in RAS than in LAS (third part). The conversion rate of RAS was significantly lower than that of LAS (fourth part).