Table 2 Meta-analysis of the impact of obesity on outcomes after rectal cancer surgery

Conversion rates

4 [6, 7, 13, 16]

26/92 (28.3 %)

100/734 (13.6 %)

2.78

1.67, 4.61

<0.001

41.3

Overall morbidity

7 [6, 7, 12, 13, 15–17]

1320/3259 (40.5 %)

3264/9911 (32.9 %)

1.36

1.25, 1.47

<0.001

0

Mortality

8 [6, 7, 11–14, 16, 17]

34/3472 (1.0 %)

109/10,329 (1.0 %)

0.95

0.65, 1.39

0.780

0

Ileus

4 [6, 7, 13, 14]

28/306 (9.2 %)

47/936 (5.0 %)

1.33

0.81, 2.20

0.260

49.2

Wound infection

7 [6, 7, 11, 13–16]

50/383 (13.1 %)

58/1265 (4.6 %)

2.22

1.47, 3.36

<0.001

0

Pulmonary events

5 [6, 7, 11, 14, 16]

23/297 (7.7 %)

28/765 (3.7 %)

2.10

1.18, 3.74

0.012

12.1

Deep venous thrombosis

2 [11, 14]

7/252 (2.8 %)

14/474 (3.0 %)

0.97

0.38, 2.43

0.941

0

Anastomotic leak

4 [7, 11, 14, 16]

20/250 (8.0 %)

12/539 (2.2 %)

3.94

1.88, 8.24

<0.001

0

Intraabdominal abscess

5 [7, 11, 13, 14, 16]

19/320 (5.9 %)

77/1022 (7.5 %)

1.10

0.65, 1.89

0.715

45.1

Intraabdominal haematoma

2 [11, 13]

5/142 (3.5 %)

18/603 (3.0 %)

0.65

0.24, 1.73

0.387

84

Fistula

3 [6, 11, 14]

5/276 (1.8 %)

27/660 (4.1 %)

1.15

0.40, 3.28

0.797

0

Reoperation

4 [6, 7, 11, 14]

14/283 (5.0 %)

46/679 (6.8 %)

0.79

0.43, 1.47

0.466

0

Cardiac complication

2 [11, 14]

19/252 (7.5 %)

29/474 (6.1 %)

1.17

0.63, 2.17

0.612

0

Renal failure

3 [7, 11, 14]

2/259 (0.8 %)

2/493 (0.4 %)

2.11

0.40, 11.03

0.378

0

Sexual dysfunction

2 [14, 16]

1/171 (0.6 %)

5/400 (1.3 %)

0.70

0.12, 4.25

0.699

0

Bladder dysfunction

2 [14, 16]

0/171 (0.0 %)

2/400 (0.5 %)

1.05

0.11, 10.27

0.965

0

Positive margin

5 [7, 11, 14, 17, 18]

19/472 (4.0 %)

61/1079 (5.7 %)

0.71

0.42, 1.20

0.197

0

Number of harvested nodes

5 [6, 11, 15, 17, 18]

0.07

−0.69, 0.83

0.852

0