Reconstruction of the nose with local flaps.

The author presents the results of a study of 200 patients with surgical defects of the nose following excision of skin malignancies. The location, size, depth, and quality of the adjacent skin, the reconstruction choice, and the cosmetic result were recorded. Healing by second intention was most useful for wounds in concave areas. Full-thickness skin grafts were used for defects too large for local flaps, or for defects on the nasal tip or alar surface. Local flaps were the most useful choice for nasal reconstruction. Transposition flaps, in particular, were most useful for each cosmetic sub unit of the nose.