Table 3.

Results of the meta-analysis

Outcomes	No. of studies	Sample size		Heterogeneity		Overall effect size	95% CI of overall effect	P value
		LG	RG	I2 (%)	P value
Operation time (min)	18	3925	2481	94	< 0.001	WMD = −32.96	−42.08 ~ −23.84	< 0.001
Estimated blood loss (mL)	17	4196	2422	81	< 0.001	WMD = 28.66	18.59 ~ 38.73	< 0.001
Retrieved lymph nodes	19	4598	2677	83	< 0.001	WMD = −0.96	−2.12 ~ 0.20	0.100
Proximal margin (cm)	7	1252	761	28	0.220	WMD = −0.10	−0.29 ~ 0.09	0.300
Distal margin (cm)	6	1194	710	59	0.030	WMD = 0.15	−0.21 ~ 0.52	0.410
Time to first flatus (days)	13	2847	1888	65	< 0.001	WMD = 0.16	0.06 ~ 0.27	0.003
Hospital stay (days)	19	4598	2677	93	< 0.001	WMD = 0.23	−0.53 ~ 0.98	0.560
Overall complications	19	4598	2677	0	0.880	OR = 1.07	0.91 ~ 1.25	0.430
Mortality	5	1386	762	0	0.820	OR = 0.67	0.24 ~ 1.90	0.450
Overall survival	6	1498	890	0	0.860	HR = 0.95	0.76 ~ 1.18	0.640
Recurrence-free survival	3	586	586	0	0.910	HR = 0.91	0.69 ~ 1.21	0.530
Recurrence rate	5	1038	757	0	0.620	OR = 0.90	0.67 ~ 1.21	0.500