Fascia lata can substitute for nasal lining in reconstruction

(HealthDay)—Fascia lata, which is a thin, pliable, and vascularized tissue, can be effectively used as a substitute for nasal lining in complex total and subtotal nasal reconstruction procedures, according to a case series published online Oct. 29 in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.

Rahul Seth, M.D., of the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues performed a retrospective medical record review and reported on a series of five cases in which free anterolateral thigh fascia lata flaps were used to replace nasal lining in patients with total or subtotal rhinectomy defects.

The researchers observed no flap failure or lining loss and negligible harvest site morbidity. Satisfactory nasal form and patent nasal airways were achieved without the need for repeated revisions. In two of the five cases, the anterolateral thigh flap was used in the restoration of the midface contour and to repair defects in the anterior skull base simultaneously.

"Patients in this series achieved adequate nasal patency and required a minimal number of revisions," the authors write. "Given the advantages of less tissue bulk and less donor-site morbidity compared with standard, local, and distant reconstructive methods for nasal lining, vascularized fascia lata appears to hold promise in complex nasal reconstruction."