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. 2022 Jun 1;48(6):613-618.
doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000003448.

Cheek Donor Site for Full-Thickness Skin Graft Repair of the Nasal Ala: Outcomes of a Retrospective Cohort Study

Eric Y Du  1 , Rylee A Moody  1 , Eric S Armbrecht  2 , Collin L Chen  3 , Ian A Maher  4 , Michael L Bernstein  5 , Ramona Behshad  6
Affiliations

Cheek Donor Site for Full-Thickness Skin Graft Repair of the Nasal Ala: Outcomes of a Retrospective Cohort Study

Eric Y Du et al. Dermatol Surg. .

Abstract

Background: Full-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs) are useful repairs for reconstructing nasal alar defects. Traditional donor sites include the preauricular, postauricular, and supraclavicular skin.

Objective: To evaluate esthetic outcomes and complications of nasal alar defects repaired with FTSGs from the medial cheek.

Materials and methods: A retrospective chart review of Mohs surgery patients who had FTSG repair of the nasal ala between January 2015 and August 2020 was performed. Demographic, surgery, and follow-up visit data were reviewed. Cosmesis was rated by a facial plastic surgeon, a Mohs surgeon, and a plastic surgeon using baseline, defect, and follow-up visit photographs.

Results: Sixty-nine patients with FTSG repairs of nasal alar defects were identified. 51 of 69 patients (73.9%) had the cheek donor site, and 18 of 69 patients (26.1%) had a noncheek donor site. The mean (SD) rater visual analog score for both cohorts was good with no significant difference (cheek: 65.9 [13.8]; noncheek: 66.1 [15.3]; p = .96). A notable difference in the complication rate by donor site was observed (cheek: 6.9%, noncheek: 16.7%; p = .13), although it did not reach significance.

Conclusion: The cheek is a reliable FTSG donor site for nasal alar defects after Mohs micrographic surgery, with a trend toward fewer complications.

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