Comparison 2. Closed (midline) vs. closed (other).

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Time to wound healing	1	100	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	5.40 [2.28, 8.52]
2 SSI rate	5	541	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	3.72 [1.86, 7.42]
3 Recurrence rate	6	574	Peto Odds Ratio (Peto, Fixed, 95% CI)	4.54 [2.30, 8.96]
3.1 Follow‐up more than one year (>80%)	3	407	Peto Odds Ratio (Peto, Fixed, 95% CI)	5.76 [2.53, 13.11]
3.2 Follow‐up less than one year (>80%)	1	33	Peto Odds Ratio (Peto, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.13 [0.01, 2.26]
3.3 Follow‐up more than one year (<80%)	2	134	Peto Odds Ratio (Peto, Fixed, 95% CI)	5.33 [1.39, 20.43]
4 Time to return to work	2		Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	Totals not selected
5 Other complications & morbidity	3	461	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	4.42 [1.51, 12.99]
6 Patient satisfaction	1	100	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.90 [‐1.51, ‐0.29]
7 Pain	2	133	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.90 [‐1.51, ‐0.29]
8 Wound healing rate	2		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Totals not selected
8.1 > 6 months	1		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
8.2 ≺ 6 months	1		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
9 Operative time	1	161	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	5.10 [2.98, 7.22]