TABLE 1.

Baseline and surgery characteristics

Baseline Characteristics	MIPS (n = 33)	Linear Incision (n = 30)
Age (yrs)	50.3 (16.3) (44.5; 56.1)	51.9 (16.1) (45.9; 57.9)
Sex
Male	12 (36.4%)	11 (36.7%)
Female	21 (63.6%)	19 (63.3%)
Type of hearing loss
Acquired conductive/mixed hearing loss	26 (78.8%)	25 (83.3%)
Single sided deafness	6 (18.2%)	5 (16.7%)
Congenital conductive hearing loss	1 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)
Side scheduled for surgery
Right	17 (51.5%)	13 (43.3%)
Left	16 (48.5%)	17 (56.7%)
Smoking
No smoking	26 (78.8%)	22 (73.3%)
Smoking	7 (21.2%)	8 (26.7%)
Body mass index	27.4 (6.4) (25.2; 29.7)	28.3 (5.6) (26.2; 30.4)
Ethnicity
Caucasian	33 (100.0%)	30 (100.0%)

Surgery Characteristics	MIPS (n = 33)	Linear Incision (n = 30)
Type of anaesthesia
General	16 (48.5%)	17 (56.7%)
Local	17 (51.5%)	13 (43.3%)
Surgical time (min)a	6.52 (2.84) 6.00 (2.00; 15.00) (5.51; 7.52)	13.3 (3.5) 13.0 (8.0; 25.0) (12.0; 14.6)
Time in operation room (min)a/b	44.2 (11.1) 45.0 (28.0; 72.0) (40.1; 48.3)	50.8 (7.8) 50.5 (33.0; 69.0) (47.5; 54.1)
Skin thickness (mL)	6.12 (1.80) (5.48; 6.76)	6.03 (1.69) (5.40; 6.66)
Abutment length
9	21 (63.6%)	13 (43.3%)
12	10 (30.3%)	16 (53.3%)
14	2 (6.1%)	1 (3.3%)
Manual tightening performed	12 (36.4%)	8 (26.7%)
Concomitant medication during surgery	28 (84.8%)	23 (76.7%)
Intraoperative events
Drilling into vein	2 (6.1%)	2 (6.7%)
Dura mater exposed	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.3%)
Skin problems	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)
Drilling into air pockets	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)
Bleeding hematoma	1 (3.0%)	1 (3.3%)
Replacement suture	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)

Categorical variables: n (%) is presented. Continuous variables: mean (SD) (95% CI of mean) is presented.

^aMedian (min; max) (95% CI) is presented.

^bPatients with additional intervention during surgery were excluded.

MIPS indicates minimally invasive ponto surgery.