Abstract

SANCHEZ GALLEGO-ALBERTOS, Celia; LOSA MUNOZ, Pedro; CEBRIAN CARRETERO, José Luis  and  BURGUENO GARCIA, Miguel. Reconstruction of composite facial defects: nasal sidewall and medial cheek. The importance of two flaps technique. Rev Esp Cirug Oral y Maxilofac [online]. 2021, vol.43, n.1, pp.44-47.  Epub Apr 19, 2021. ISSN 2173-9161.  https://dx.doi.org/10.20986/recom.2020.1137/2020.

Facial skin defects affecting the nasal sidewall and medial cheek entail a reconstructive challenge for the surgeon. They belong to the central third of the face and thus, they have a direct impact on aesthetics. The difficulty in repairing these defects lies in the need to restore facial symmetry and three-dimensionality. In addition, there is a need to preserve the qualities of the skin of each subunit, since they have a different dermal thickness and different number of sebaceous glands. That is the reason why these defects should not be addressed using a single flap and they require a different reconstructive approach. Although composite central facial defects are common, there is not a unified approach to repair them. The cases presented in this manuscript involves patients who underwent surgical intervention to remove a skin cancer. The extirpation resulted in a cutaneous defect affecting both the nasal sidewall and medial cheek. The surgical technique consisted of harvesting two different flaps, obtaining good cosmetic and functional results, and minimizing donor site morbidity.

Keywords : Facial subunits; aesthetic subunits; nasal sidewall; medial cheek; facial reconstruction; composite facial defect; two flaps.

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