Reconstruction of large external nose defect with forehead flap / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To discuss the role of forehead flap in large external nasal defect reconstruction.@*METHOD@#We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and follow-up data of 11 patients with large or full-thickness external nasal defects, which were reconstructed with single-or two-stage interpolated or island forehead flaps from January 2007 to June 2011. All patients were male,defects of 9 cases were resulted from resection of skin malignant tumor and traumatic defect in 2 cases. The average diameter of defects was 3.3 cm (2.5-5.0 cm). Four cases had alar full thickness defect. The supratrochlear and angular artery of the elders (>70 yrs) and patients with suspicious peripheral blood vessel lesions were scanned before the surgery by Doppler ultrasonic. The defects were reconstructed by two-stage interpolated flap in 7 cases; five cases were reconstructed by single-stage island flap technique. A nasolabial flap based on piriform aperture was turned into the nasal cavity to reconstruct the lining.@*RESULT@#All defects were repaired successfully. All tissue flap survived and the scar was not conspicuous. One patient had nostril stenosis with mild nasal congestion complain at the 6th postoperative month.@*CONCLUSION@#The forehead flap, interpolated or island, can be used safely and effectively to repair the large external nasal defect in experienced hands.