Abstract

Background: There is no clarity if a bilobed flap is the best treatment of choice for reconstruction of nasal tip defects. Method: The nose of twenty patients was photographed 2 years after surgical excision of skin cancer and closure either with a bilobed flap (n = 7) or a full thickness skin graft (n = 13). Photographs were assessed by 2 dermatologists, 2 plastic surgeons and 2 non medically trained individuals, applying the POSAS scale. Results: There were no significant differences between opinions of the two techniques. Overall, on a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means 'no visual abnormalities' the bilobed flap scored 2.22 versus 2.33 for the skin graft. Where medical consultants preferred the bilobed flap, non medical individuals favored the skin graft closure. Conclusion: We found no evidence to support the textbook statement that the bilobed flap "excels" for reconstruction of defects less than 1.5 cm around the nasal tip.

Authors and Affiliations