Usefulness of hard palate mucosa graft as nasal lining in alar reconstruction.

A hard palate mucosa graft was used as nasal lining for alar reconstruction in six patients. In five of the six patients, the "take" of the graft was complete. The nasal cavity was reconstructed satisfactorily, and no nasal obstruction was observed and no collapse of the nasal cavity was found in breathing because of the stiffness and thinness of the grafted mucosa. None of the patients suffered from erosion or irritation of the graft during the postoperative period. The palate donor site healed in 3 to 5 weeks, and no irritation or ulceration was seen after the healing. The hard palate mucosa can be considered as a lining material in alar reconstruction.