Secondary Intention Healing of Nasal Ala and Tip Defects: A Simple and Valuable Treatment Option.

PURPOSE

To investigate the cosmetic outcomes of secondary intention healing of small (<1.5cm) nasal ala and tip defects.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From August 2017 to October 2020, 42 patients with nasal reconstructions using secondary intention healing were included. Defects after excision ranged from 0.5cm×0.7cm to 1.2cm×1.5cm in size. Foam dressing covering the wounds was changed every 3 to 5 days. Wound esthetic outcomes were graded as excellent, good, acceptable, and poor based on definitions described in the literature.

RESULTS

All 42 wounds healed in 3 to 4 weeks, with uniform color, no obvious adverse reactions and high patient satisfaction. Esthetic evaluation: 16 excellent cases (38.1%), 19 good cases (45.2%), 7 acceptable cases (16.7%) and 0 poor cases.

CONCLUSION

Secondary intention healing of small nasal tip and ala defects in Chinese yielded satisfactory esthetic outcomes and should be an integral part of the surgeon's reconstructive algorithm.