Background. Posttraumatic and postoperative defects of columella and the tip
of the nose are difficult to reconstruct. There are several operative methods
described in the literature, and many of them are step-by-step procedures
with long duration. The aim of this study was to present one-step procedure
for reconstruction of the columella and the tip of the nose with
island-shaped arterial forehead flap. Case report. A 45-year old man was
submitted to surgical excision of basocellular skin cancer. After the
excision, a defect of the columella and tip of the nose the remained, 3 ? 2.5
cm in dimensions, with exposed alar cartilages. During the same operation,
the defect was covered with an island-shaped arterial forehead flap.
Postoperative one-year course was uneventful, without signs of tumor
recurrence after one year, and further surgical corrections were unnecessary.
Conclusion. Considering the results of our operative technique, we believe
that middle island-shaped forehead flap is suitable for reconstruction of the
columella and the tip of the nose, due to the following reasons: safe
vascularization of flap, similarity of the transferred tissue with the
excised one, the procedure is completed in one step, simple surgical
technique and uncomplicated healing of a flap-harvesting site.
The pedicled lateral forehead flap in reconstructing oral floor defect - The last resort; case report