An evaluation of hard palate mucosa graft as a lining material in alar reconstruction: A 7-year experience applied to the full-thickness alar defect

The authors present their experience with 25 hard palate mucosa grafts used as Lining material in the reconstruction of full-thickness alar defects. G ood "take" was obtained in 29 grafts; the other three grafts incurred necro sis of the overriding skin naps and postoperative infection. Degree of shri nkage was 11 to 15 percent of grafted size in patients with the type of def ect that did not include the alar margin; shrinkage was 26 to 35 percent in patients with the type that included more than 50 percent of the alar marg in. In all patients who had a good graft take, the nasal cavities were main tained and there was no nasal obstruction or collapsing during strong breat hing. The healing time of the palate donor site varied from 7 days to 5 wee ks, depending on the size of the defect. No patients experienced any sympto ms at the donor site after healing. The authors concluded that hard palate mucosa can be considered a useful material in alar reconstruction became of the ease in graft harvesting and its support features. When the defect is large enough to involve the total unilateral ala nasi, even though the degr ee of postoperative shrinkage is comparatively high, hard palate mucosa may be the most suitable material to ensure good take of the graft and less po ssibility of donorsite morbidity.