Fig 1.
The PRISMA flow chart for the literature search.
Table 1.
Main characteristics of the eligible studies included in the meta-analysis.
Fig 2.
Forest plot of the pooled outcomes of (A) SSIs (B) SSIs in gastrointestinal surgery (C) Wound dehiscence in selected studies comparing staples to subcuticular suture for skin closure after abdominal surgery.
Abbreviations: SSIs, surgical site infection; CI, confidence interval; M-H, Mantel-Haenszel.
Table 2.
Operating time reported in selected studies comparing staples with subcuticular sutures for skin closure after abdominal surgery.
Table 3.
Qualitative data of outcomes of selected studies comparing staples with subcuticular sutures in the postoperative cosmesis and patient satisfaction.
Fig 3.
Risk of bias.