Elongated Dorsal Nasal Flap to Reconstruct Large Defects of the Nose

The typical reconstructive option for closing large-sized defects of the distal half of the nose is the paramedian forehead flap. Other alternatives are a melolabial interpolation flap and bilobed or trilobed flaps. The dorsal nasal (Rieger) flap is suitable for closing small-sized defects at this location, especially when they are medially located.

The authors describe a modified dorsal nasal flap reconstruction for large nasal defects. The novelty of this study lies in lengthening the leading edge of flap rotation, which may provide tissue either from the adjacent nasal skin, the nasofacial groove, or the cheek.

The authors performed a retrospective chart review of all patients with large defects (>20 mm) of the nose who underwent modified dorsal nasal flap repair between January 2004 and March 2015 at a single academic center.

Twenty-seven patients (16 male, 11 female; ages 44-88, mean age 62 years) had defects (the smallest 15 × 21 mm, and the largest 32 × 37 mm) on the lower portion of the nasal pyramid. Follow-up ranged from 12 months to 11 years with good or excellent results in all cases.

Elongated dorsal nasal flap is a reproducible one-stage flap for large defects of the nose, with minimal risk of aesthetic or functional complications.