Table 3.
Clinical outcomes
| Factor | Laparoscopic TME 41 cases |
TaTME 41 cases |
P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operative time minutes, median (range) | 300 (240–378) | 318 (270–375) | 0.290 |
| Operation type, n (%) | |||
| AR | 27 (65.9) | 28 (68.3) | 0.814 |
| APE | 14 (34.1) | 13 (31.7) | |
| Intra-operative complications, n (%) | 3 (7.3) | 1 (2.4) | 0.616 |
| Conversion (to midline), n (%) | 9 (22.0) | 0 (0.0) | < 0.001 |
| Defunctioning stoma, n (%) | 24/27 (88.9) | 28/28 (100.0) | 0.070 |
| Hospital stay in days, median (range) | 11 (8–17) | 8 (7–11) | 0.052 |
| Unplanned Readmissions within 30 days, n (%) | 8 (19.5) | 6 (14.6) | 0.557 |
| Postoperative complications within 30 days, n (%) | 14 (34.1) | 19 (46.3) | 0.260 |
| Anastomotic leakage, n (%) | 4/27 (14.8) | 5/28 (17.9) | 1.000 |
| Clavien–Dindo 30 days classification, n (%) | |||
| None | 27 (65.9) | 22 (53.7) | 0.772 |
| I | 3 (7.3) | 6 (14.6) | |
| II | 4 (9.8) | 4 (9.8) | |
| IIIa | 2 (4.9) | 3 (7.3) | |
| IIIb | 5 (12.2) | 6 (14.6) | |
| IV and V | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
Intra-operative complications defined as major complications, including: visceral injury, bleeding, ischaemia. Not including conversion