Short-term clinical outcomes of laparoscopic vs open rectal excision for rectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Figure 1 Flowchart of the literature search and study selection process according to the preferred reporting Items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines.

Figure 2 Forest plots of short-term outcomes showing significant differences between laparoscopic rectal resection and open rectal resection. A: Operative time; B: Estimated blood loss; C: Incision length; D: Length of hospital stay; E: Bowel recovery.