The double cross plasty: a new technique for nasal stenosis

Atresia and stenosis of the anterior nares is caused by a lack of the normal mucous membrane lining the nasal vestibule. The condition may be congenital but is usually acquired. In most cases the external contour of the nose is not affected but an extensive deficiency of the mucosal lining may alter the shape of the cartilagenous part of the nose. The width of the obstruction, the state of the surrounding lining and the degree of the external deformity are the main factors to be assessed in any attempt at surgical correction. A new technique is presented which has successfully corrected severe unilateral stenosis in two children.