The frontonasal flap: utility for lateral nasal defects and technical refinements.

This report details the experience with 27 patients over a 5-year period who had nasal reconstruction using a frontonasal flap. The frontonasal flap procedure is a useful method for the repair of relatively large post-Mohs micrographic surgery defects of the lower, upper, lateral and central nose. Our modified method has been extended (1) to resurface lateral as well as central defects of the caudal one-third of the nose; (2) the scar can be shortened so it does not extend into the forehead; (3) the flap can be combined with the island nasalis flap, or nasolabial flaps to resurface large (3-4 cm) defects; (4) early dermabrasion has improved the scars in sebaceous skin.