Nasal Reconstruction with a Thin, Free Flap Prefabricated with a Silicone Sheet: Case Report

ABSTRACT

When the reconstruction of facial tissue requires the use of a flap, this is best carried out with a thin flap that matches the texture of facial skin. For this reason, the authors often use postauricular and subclavicular donor sites. In the reported case, a prefabricated flap was created in the patient's subclavicular skin, by utilizing a silicone sheet and transferring the thoracodorsal vessels. Two weeks after the procedure, this prefabricated flap was transplanted with microsurgical techniques, to reconstruct the ala nasi, after a limited resection of a cavernous hemangioma that preserved the alar cartilage. A very favorable outcome was achieved.