[Reconstruction of partial nose defects with retroauricular free flap transplantation].
OBJECTIVE
To present the operation for nose defect reconstruction using a retroauricular free flap and the auricle cartilage.


METHODS
Based on the anatomy and blood supply of the retroauricular region, a flap was designed and harvested with the posterior auricular vessels as its pedicle. The flap was used to repair nose defects in five patients. Of them, three had unilateral subtotal alinasal defects, one had nasal apex defect, and one had defects on nasal apex and bilateral ala. The size of the defect ranged from 2.5 cm x 1.5 cm to 3.0 cm x 4.0 cm. The flap varied between 3.0 cm x 2.0 cm and 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm. In 4 cases, the auricular cartilage of 2.0 cm x 1.5 cm to 1.5 cm x 1.0 cm was taken along with the flap. The posterior auricular vessels were anastomosed with the facial vessels. The donor site was covered with full-thickness skin graft.


RESULTS
Postoperatively, the blood supply to the flaps was fairly good in 3 cases, while there was various venous stasis in 2 cases during the first 4 days. However, the postoperative results of the 5 cases were satisfactory.


CONCLUSIONS
The retroauricular free flap is a good choice for partial nose reconstruction, which had the merits of well-hidden donor site, good color match, and one-stage operation.
Han
Yan
Y
Department of Plastic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
Ai
Yufeng
Y
Lei
Yonghong
Y
Yang
Li
L
Zhang
Hui
H
D006801:Humans; D009666:Nose / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply