A Single Surgeon's Long-Term Experience With Full-Thickness Skin Grafts for Nasal Defect Reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Dermatology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Nasal reconstruction often involves staged flaps with donor site morbidity.
• Existing full-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs) may have suboptimal aesthetic matching.
• Alternative reconstruction methods can cause patient stress and require multiple procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and cosmetic outcomes of using forehead widow's peak FTSGs for nasal reconstruction.
• To compare this technique with traditional methods for nasal defect repair.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 20 nasal reconstructions using forehead widow's peak FTSGs (2014-2019).
• Inclusion criteria: shallow defects with adequate wound bed vascularity.
• Graft harvesting from widow's peak, thinning, placement, and bolster dressing for one week.

Main Results:

• Favorable cosmetic results with good color, thickness, and texture match observed.
• Forehead FTSGs provided superior skin thickness and contour matching compared to ear grafts.
• No major complications reported, with generally good graft survival and healing.

Conclusions:

• Forehead widow's peak FTSGs are a reliable and cosmetically superior option for nasal reconstruction.
• This single-stage procedure offers a quicker recovery and avoids donor site morbidity associated with flaps.
• Ideal for lower nasal third defects, providing excellent aesthetic and functional outcomes.