Table 3. Meta-analysis for complications data.
| Outcomes | No. of studies | No. of patients | McKeown’s events incidence (%) | Ivor Lewis’s events incidence (%) | WMD/OR (95% CI) | Heterogeneity | Test for overall effect | Favors group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anastomotic stricture | 11 | 2,102 | 10.0% | 4.1% | 2.89 (1.97, 4.24) | I2=25%, P=0.21 | Z=5.43, P<0.00001 | Ivor Lewis |
| RLN trauma | 20 | 4,365 | 9.7% | 1.7% | 5.63 (3.99, 7.94) | I2=0%, P=0.85 | Z=9.86, P<0.00001 | Ivor Lewis |
| Chylothorax | 12 | 2,352 | 4.9% | 3.1% | 1.55 (1.01, 2.38) | I2=0%, P=0.70 | Z=2.03, P=0.04 | Ivor Lewis |
| Pulmonary complications | 14 | 2,736 | 25.4% | 15.1% | 1.89 (1.54, 2.32) | I2=36%, P=0.09 | Z=6.11, P<0.00001 | Ivor Lewis |
| Lung infection | 8 | 971 | 11.9% | 7.7% | 1.44 (0.69, 3.00) | I2=52%, P=0.04 | Z=0.96, P=0.34 | – |
| Cardiac arrhythmia | 10 | 1,789 | 6.0% | 4.3% | 1.39 (0.89, 2.18) | I2=0%, P=0.69 | Z=1.44, P=0.15 | – |
| Delayed gastric emptying | 9 | 1,537 | 4.8% | 3.9% | 1.33 (0.80, 2.23) | I2=36%, P=0.13 | Z=1.09, P=0.28 | – |
| Overall complications | 13 | 2,861 | 43.8% | 29.7% | 1.90 (1.34, 2.71) | I2=74%, P<0.00001 | Z=3.57, P=0.0004 | Ivor Lewis |
WMD, weighted mean difference; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; RLN, recurrent laryngeal nerve.