[Repair of nasal lining in nasal reconstruction]

To present a variety of techniques for providing nasal lining and discuss the application of these methods to specific nasal defects.

Regard of the nasal defect's location, size, or depth of involvement, the approaches were used with turnover nasal skin or scar flaps (n=17), the buccal mucosal flap (n=1), the nasolabial flaps (n=5), prefabricated flaps (n=1) for lining. A formal nasal reconstruction was then carried out with use of rib cartilage grafts for support and a forehead flap for cover.

Necrosis of forehead flaps and lining tissues did not occur. 24 Cases have been followed for a 6-34 months period. Except some turnover scar flaps obstructed the airway and needed aggressive secondary surgical thinning, the other lining flaps remained stable from adequate restoration of form and function.

It is important to evaluate the exact sizes, volumes and layers missing of the nasal defects before rebuilding the lining defect. Choosing the adequate operation can provide good aesthetic and functional results. The prefabricated flap is good to be used to reconstruct nasal lining in complicated cases.