title: Bolster dressing to support a full-thickness skin graft.
abstract: The patient with a through-and-through defect of the nose suffers from a loss of skin, subcutaneous tissue, cartilage, and nasal lining. Repair of this defect is generally directed toward restoring the components of skin and lining. The forehead flap is a useful substitute for nasal skin. A full-thickness skin graft may be used to substitute for absent nasal mucosa and serve as a lining for the forehead flap, covering its deep surface and retarding wound contracture. In the case presented, firm contact was maintained between the forehead flap and its full-thickness graft lining using a bolster dressing of simple design. We believe this dressing discourages seroma and hematoma formation while maintaining contact between the graft and the vascularized flap bed.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Iacobucci
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps