Restoration of Large Skin Defect on Nose Dorsum using Nasalis Island Pedicle Flap with Bilevel Undermining / 대한피부과학회지

Reconstruction of defects on the lower third of the nose is always a challenge, as dissection of tissues in this area is not simple due to both a lack of elasticity and the structural complexity of the mid-facial area. When the defect size is less than 1.5 cm on the nose, primary closure or a bilobed flap is widely-used, while a skin graft is required for reconstruction of larger defects. Here we present two cases of a nasalis myocutaneous island pedicle flap with bilevel undermining with a relatively large nasal dorsum defect (>2 cm). The nasalis myocutaneous island pedicle flap with bilevel undermining was performed in order to maximize the movement of skin flaps and minimize the secondary movement of flaps after surgery. The nasal tip showed a slight upward movement immediately after surgery that subsequently moved down to a normal level. This technique can be utilized for reconstruction of the lower part of the nose for defects 2 cm or larger in size by maximizing the movement of the flap within the nasal structure. A major advantage is a higher flap survival rate due to proper arterial supply and the procedure results in relatively reduced secondary motion of the flap after the surgery.

Reconstruction of Defects on the Lower Part of the Nose using Nasalis Island Pedicle Flap / 대한피부과학회지

Reconstruction of surgical defects of the nose, particularly the lower one third, is often challenging. The skin of this area is less mobile and fixed on lower structures without a subcutaneous fatty layer. Thus, dissection of tissues is rather difficult and more bleeding can occur during dissection. Furthermore, flap surgery will fail if the flap extends too far. Local flap surgery is one of the more useful techniques that maintains the function and aesthetics of a normal nose. Among these, the nasalis muscle is relatively easy and provides better outcomes. More importantly, vascular supplies from the underlying muscular structure provide greater viability. Additional movement can be achieved by either dissecting under the transverse nasalis or by dividing the transverse nasalis beyond the midline. We report 5 cases of nasalis island pedicle flaps using nasalis muscles. The final results were relatively satisfactory for both functional and cosmetic aspects.