[Repair of soft tissue defects of the nose]

Soft tissue defects of the nose resulting from lesions may cause aesthetic and functional problems if they are not properly repaired.

In this study, a retrospective analysis was conducted of 104 patients (59 females, 45 males; mean age 53 years; range 33 to 89 years) who were operated in our clinic between November 2005 and July 2009. Nasal soft tissue defects resulting from excision were closed with a primer closure for 16 patients, a procerius muscle skin flap for 11 patients, a nasolabial flap for 26 patients, a dorsal nasal flap for 12 patients, a forehead flap for three patients, an orbicularis oculi muscle skin flap for three patients, a V-Y advancement flap for seven patients, a bilateral V-Y advancement flap for one patient, a Banner flap for nine patients, a bilobe flap for eight patients, an interpolation flap for two patients, a skin graft for 10 patients.

We did not observe any occurances of flap necrosis in any of the patients being treated with skin and muscle skin flaps. After we recognised that two patients' excision margins were positive, re-excision was performed on them. Tumor recurrence was observed in one patient, and was repaired with skin graft.

In this study, we present our successful results in the treatment of soft tissue defects. Reconstructive strategy should be considered from simple to more complex planning. Skin flaps should be elevated according to nasal aesthetic units. Which reconstructive technique to employ should be decided with respect to the localization of the nasal defect.