Application of modified primary closure of the pelvic floor in laparoscopic extralevator abdominal perineal excision for low rectal cancer

Table 1 Baseline characteristics.

	Modified primary closure(n = 32)	Biological mesh closure(n = 44)	P value
Male/female	24/8	31/13	0.662
Age (yr)	52.8 ± 12.2	58.2 ± 12.5	0.137
BMI	26.8 ± 3.2	25.7 ± 2.7	0.097
Neoadjuvant therapy	8	7	0.326
Tumor location, Distance to anal verge (cm)	2.6 ± 0.8	2.8 ± 0.9	0.278
Postoperative TNM staging
II	23	29	0.581
III	9	15

BMI: Body mass index.