Versatality of nasolabial flap in nasal alar reconstruction -a review and report of two cases

<p>Purpose: Damage to the nose can occur as a result of trauma, infection, benign or malignant tumors, burns, blows, cuts, bites, and tearing injuries. There may be simple lacerations or complete avulsion. Any defect may greatly disfigure the nares or the cicatrix may completely stenose the openings. Injuries to adjacent structures may also cause distortion of the nares due to post operative cicatricial contracture. Airway through the nares can also be blocked by collapse of the columellar support. Any kind of facial disfigurement including nasal defects leads to serious effects on persons work and social life. Therefore reconstruction of mutilated noses is very important as it attracts attention due to its central location. Materials &amp; Methods: We treated two cases requiring nasolabial flap reconstruction. The first patient was a 35 year old female with loss of right ala of the nose due to human bite. The second patient was a 40 year old male with the loss of right ala of the vnose due to trauma. The ala was reconstructed using inferiorly based nasolabial flap in both the cases as a single procedure.</p> <p><strong>Result: </strong>The postoperative course of both cases was good; neither postoperative flap necrosis nor infection developed.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion</strong>: Nasolabial flaps can be a useful procedure in reconstructing a cheek, eye lid, lip and floor of mouth defects. Although the flap size may be one of the major limiting factors in the flap utilization in reconstructing facial defects, it can be used to cover defects as wide as 5cm</p>