RECONSTRUCTION OF NASAL TIP DEFECTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/1811-2471.2025.v.i2.15173Keywords:
nasal tip defect, Indian flap techniqueAbstract
Summary. The history of nasal reconstruction dates back to ancient times and remains a fundamental challenge today. Traumatic factors affecting the external nose can lead to deformities and tissue defects. Nasal tissue defects are defined as the absence of tissues or parts of the nose due to trauma or disease. Closing nasal tip defects is a complex task in plastic surgery.
The aim – to study the effectiveness of the Indian forehead flap technique in closing nasal tip defects.
Material and Methods. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the results of four cases of nasal reconstruction using the forehead flap technique (Indian method) at the Lviv Regional Hospital of War Veterans and Repressed People named after Yuriy Lypa between 2003 and 2022. Two patients were urgently hospitalized with traumatic nasal tip defects (knife wound, human bite). Two other patients were admitted for planned surgeries due to defects following the excision of basal cell carcinoma and a large rhinophyma. All patients underwent surgery under endotracheal anaesthesia. Surgical intervention for trauma patients was performed on the day of admission, while the remaining patients underwent surgery on the 3rd or 4th day of hospitalization. Nasal defects were examined for foreign bodies and blood clots, which determined the need for wound debridement before transplantation. During nasal tip defect preparation, wounds were thoroughly irrigated with sterile saline solution, and capillary bleeding was controlled using diathermy coagulation. The forehead skin flap was harvested after a careful assessment of its size and shape to prevent tissue tension during transplantation. The edges of the donor forehead wound were mobilized using a sharp dissection technique to enable approximation and tension-free closure with Prolene 3.0 interrupted sutures. The pedicle connecting the donor site to the recipient area was divided 3–4 weeks postoperatively.
Results. In all cases, a good aesthetic outcome was achieved for both the defect site and the donor area, with no reported complications. All patients rated their treatment outcomes as good.
Conclusions. Closing nasal tip defects is a complex challenge in plastic surgery. The Indian forehead flap technique is effective in achieving satisfactory aesthetic results.
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