Learning objectives: After studying this article, the participant should: 1. Be familiar with subunits of the nose. 2. Understand various flaps used in nasal reconstruction. 3. Be able to choose a flap for the defect depending on its location, size, shape and orientation.
Background: Management of small defects in nasal reconstruction can be quite challenging. Location, size, shape, and orientation of the defects are important factors in determining the method used in reconstruction.
Methods: In this article, the authors retrospectively examined 300 cases where local flaps were used to reconstruct small nasal defects. The authors correlated the characteristics of those defects with the techniques used to reconstruct them.
Results: The authors found that certain flaps were used predominantly in reconstruction of certain defects.
Conclusions: The authors were able to develop a simple algorithm for management of small nasal defects that may prospectively aid the planning of reconstructive strategy in these cases.