Neurovascular complications, hand function and patient satisfaction
Acute ischaemic injury or vascular compromise of the hand were not seen.
At the time of discharge from the hospital, major neuralgias that restricted hand function were present in 5 patients in ORAH and none in ERAH group (p=0.05). At the same time point, minor neuralgias (numbness or tingling) were recorded in 11 and 3 patients in ORAH and ERAH groups (p=0.02). However, symptoms of neuralgia (minor or major) were no longer present in any patient of the ORAH or ERAH groups. No patient experienced vascular compromise, and all had normal hand function at 1-year follow-up. (Table 4 ).
The overall patient satisfaction from the outcome of RA harvest at 12 months in ERAH and ORAH groups was graded as follows: poor in 0 vs 0, average in 0 vs 6 (P=0.02), good in 0 vs 7 (P=0.007), very good in 4 vs 8 (P=0.3) and excellent in 21 vs 4 (P<0.00001) patients respectively (Table 5) . All patients in ERAH group were very pleased with the cosmetic result early and late after surgery.