An alternative mucosal flap for nasal lining: the superior labial artery mucosal flap-an anatomic study

Reconstruction of nasal lining and septal defects is a challenging problem. An ideal reconstructive option provides ample thin, like tissue with reliable perfusion in a relatively short, single-staged procedure. The purpose of this study is to describe the vascular anatomy of the superior labial artery and an axial mucosal flap, the superior labial artery mucosal flap, based on this vascular pedicle, proposed for a single-stage reconstruction of nasal lining and septal defects.Dissection of the 10 facial arteries and their branches with a focus on the superior labial arteries was performed in a total of 5 fresh human cadavers. Objective findings on the vascular anatomy were assessed and upper lip mucosal flaps, medially based on the superior labial artery, were elevated. The case of a 30-year-old man who sustained a dog bite to the nose with a resulting full-thickness loss of his entire nasal tip and partial loss of his alar subunits is presented.In complex cases of nasal reconstruction in which nasal lining of associated defects cannot be accomplished with local flaps, we describe the anatomic basis for a regional single-staged, axial flap alternative for reconstruction.