Table 2. Primary and Secondary Outcome Parameters.
| Characteristic | Transthoracic minimally invasive esophagectomy, No. (%) | Difference in pooled mean scores (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| With intrathoracic anastomosis (n = 122) | With cervical anastomosis (n = 123) | |||
| Anastomotic leakage | ||||
| Requiring reintervention | 15 (12.3) | 39 (31.7) | −19.4 (−29.5 to −9.3) | <.001 |
| Total | 15 (12.3) | 42 (34.1) | −21.9 (−32.1 to −) | <.001 |
| Gastric conduit | ||||
| Leakage | 1 (0.8) | 0 | 0.8 (−1.4 to 3.1) | .47 |
| Necrosis | 1 (0.8) | 2 (1.6) | −0.8 (−3.6 to 1.9) | .57 |
| Pulmonary complications | ||||
| Pneumonia | 14 (11.5) | 23 (18.4) | −7.2 (−16.1 to 1.7) | .11 |
| Pneumothorax requiring drainage | 3 (2.5) | 7 (5.7) | −3.2 (−8.2 to 1.7) | .20 |
| Pleural effusion requiring drainage | 12 (9.8) | 26 (21.1) | −11.3 (−20.2 to −2.4) | .01 |
| Empyema requiring drainage | 4 (3.3) | 6 (4.9) | −1.6 (−6.5 to 3.3) | .53 |
| Tracheobronchial defect | 0 | 1 (0.8) | −0.8 (−3.0 to 1.4) | .47 |
| Respiratory failure requiring reintubation | 10 (8.2) | 13 (10.6) | −2.4 (−9.7 to 4.9) | .52 |
| Mediastinal fluid collection | 1 (0.8) | 6 (4.9) | −4.1 (−8.2 to 0.1) | .05 |
| Cardiac complications | ||||
| Supraventricular arrhythmia | 16 (13.1) | 26 (21.1) | −8.0 (−17.4 to 1.4) | .09 |
| Ventricular arrythmia | 2 (1.6) | 1 (0.8) | 0.8 (−1.9 to 3.6) | .57 |
| Cardiac decompensation | 1 (0.8) | 2 (1.6) | −0.8 (−3.6 to 1.9) | .57 |
| Myocardial infarction | 0 | 0 | 0.0 (−1.6 to 1.6) | 1.0 |
| Chyle leakage | 9 (7.4) | 11 (8.9) | −1.6 (−0.8 to 0.1) | .65 |
| Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy | 0 | 9 (7.3) | −7.3 (−12.1 to −2.5) | .003 |
| Severe complication with Clavien-Dindo level ≥3b | 13 (10.7) | 27 (22.0) | −11.3 (−20.4 to −2.2) | .02 |
| Comprehensive complication index, mean (SD) | 22.9 (21.6) | 19.2 (23.0) | −3.8 (−9.4 to 1.8) | .19 |
| Length of stay, median (IQR), d | ||||
| Hospital | 10.0 (7) | 11.5 (9) | 0.19a | .003 |
| Intensive care unit | 2 (1) | 2 (2) | 0.10a | .12 |
| Intensive care unit readmission | 11 (9.0) | 22 (17.9) | −8.9 (−17.3 to −0.4) | .04 |
| Mortality | ||||
| In-hospital | 3 (2.5) | 1 (0.8) | 1.6 (−1.5 to 4.8) | .31 |
| 30-d | 3 (2.5) | 1 (0.8) | 1.6 (−2.2 to 5.5) | .31 |
| 90-d | 4 (3.3) | 2 (1.6) | 1.7 (−2.2 to 5.5) | .40 |
| Conversion | ||||
| To laparotomy | 0 | 7 (5.7) | −5.7 (−10.0 to −1.3) | .01 |
| To thoracotomy | 3 (2.5) | 2 (1.6) | 0.8 (−2.7 to 4.4) | .64 |
| Operating time, median (IQR), min | 267 (100) | 272 (90) | 0.12a | .06 |
| Blood loss, median (IQR), mL | 100 (200) | 100 (198) | 0.07a | .31 |
| Lymph nodes, median (IQR) | ||||
| Retrieved | 22 (11) | 22 (11) | 0.04a | .55 |
| Positive | 0 (1.5) | 0 (1) | 0.03a | .62 |
| R0 resection | 121 (99.2) | 121 (98.4) | 0.8 (−1.9 to 3.6) | .57 |
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; R0, radical.
a
Effect size is given here as r = Z/√N, without 95% CIs.