BACKGROUND: A large proportion of facial skin cancers occur on the nose, and defects after Mohs surgery in this location often present a reconstructive challenge. For intermediate-sized defects, the choice of reconstruction is usually between skin flap and full-thickness skin graft. Ongoing debate exists, and limited data are available to determine which of these methods is more satisfactory. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the clinical appearance of wound healing after surgical repair with a skin graft versus a skin flap for Mohs defects on the nose. METHOD: In this study, 43 flaps and 24 grafts were evaluated using a modified Hollander Wound Evaluation Scale and a visual analogue scale. RESULTS: The mean visual analogue scale score was significantly better for flap repairs than for graft repairs. In addition, 100% of flaps had an acceptable overall cosmetic appearance on the basis of the Hollander Wound Evaluation Scale, compared with only 75% of skin grafts. CONCLUSIONS: For defects on the nose where flap and graft repair may both be technically possible, a flap may be more likely to result in superior cosmetic outcome.
BACKGROUND: A large proportion of facial skin cancers occur on the nose, and defects after Mohs surgery in this location often present a reconstructive challenge. For intermediate-sized defects, the choice of reconstruction is usually between skin flap and full-thickness skin graft. Ongoing debate exists, and limited data are available to determine which of these methods is more satisfactory. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the clinical appearance of wound healing after surgical repair with a skin graft versus a skin flap for Mohs defects on the nose. METHOD: In this study, 43 flaps and 24 grafts were evaluated using a modified Hollander Wound Evaluation Scale and a visual analogue scale. RESULTS: The mean visual analogue scale score was significantly better for flap repairs than for graft repairs. In addition, 100% of flaps had an acceptable overall cosmetic appearance on the basis of the Hollander Wound Evaluation Scale, compared with only 75% of skin grafts. CONCLUSIONS: For defects on the nose where flap and graft repair may both be technically possible, a flap may be more likely to result in superior cosmetic outcome.
Authors: Annachiara Cavaliere; Barbara Maisto; Tatiana Zaporojan; Ludovica Giordano; Luigi Sorbino; Antonio Zaffiro; Amalia Vozza; Simone La Padula; Francesco D'Andrea; Fabrizio Schonauer Journal: JPRAS Open Date: 2021-05-21