[Plastic surgery indications for the repair of nasal tip and nasal alae defects]

Analyze methods of reconstruction of non-transfixing and transfixing loss of substance of the nasal tip and nasal ala. We would like to share the attitude guiding our selecting of the different methods to rehabilitate this mobile and functional portion of the nose. We retrospectively studied 32 cases of defects of the tip and ala treated between 2007 and 2009. There were 26 basal cell carcinomas, 5 squamous cell carcinomas and 1 melanoma. The minimum postoperative follow-up was one year. For reconstruction we used local flaps: medial dorsal flap, bilobed flap, transverse island flap and regional flaps: fronto-glabellar flap, forehead flap, nasolabial flap. In this study we analyzed the aesthetic and functional result achieved at the nasal orifice. We also studied the histopathological reports regarding safety tissue margins, both in depth and peripherally. Most of the defects of the tip and the alae of less than 1 cm were repaired by local flaps; bilobed or transverse island flaps. For the median region, the Rintala mid-dorsal flap appears to give better results. Tissue losses greater than 1 cm often required the use of a fronto-glabellar flap that allowed delivery of more tissue with less scarring at the donor site. The nasolabial flap may have the disadvantage of removing the crease and sometimes a certain thickness at the arc of rotation, which might require further thinning at a later stage. For transfixing loss of substance, we must repair all the layers: skin, cartilage and mucosa. The forehead flap with respect to the principles of the aesthetic subunits of the nose is the flap of choice. We stress on the importance of ample resection with adequate safety margins peripherally and in depth.