A New Facial Artery Free-Style Perforator Flap and Conchal Cartilage Graft for One-Step Reconstruction of the Alar Defects

The nose is the most commonly affected area by basal and squamous skin carcinomas of the head and neck area (D'Arpa et al. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2009, 62:36-42). The nasolabial flap is a very well known local flap that provides excellent color and texture matches. However, its major drawback is that it requires a 2-stage procedure to restore an adequate nasal cheek groove (Karsidag et al. J Craniofac Surg. 2010; 21:1887-1889). In the perforator flaps, there are numerous studies that describe flaps whose vascular supply depend on perforators from the fascial artery. We planned to harvest a perforator flap around the medial cheek area, which included one cutaneous perforator from the facial artery. Free-style facial artery perforator flaps and auricular conchal cartilage framework were performed in 9 patients who have alar defect due to malignancies. From September 2010 to December 2011, the free-style facial perforator artery flap was performed in 9 patients at the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department of the Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Turkey. The whole flap was used to reconstruct the whole alar unit, which includes cartilaginous tissues. Our aim is to define a one-stage reconstruction technique with a perforator-based flap. Our flap is supplied by a perforating branch of the facial artery. We develop this method because of its reliable vascularization, that is, the possibility of performing one-stage technique with sensation preservation. In conclusion, we strongly recommend one-stage reconstruction in any kind of alar region defect with this versatile facial perforator flap.