Single-staged tunneled cheek interpolation flap with cartilage batten graft for repair of nasal ala defect

Surgical defects located within 5 mm of the nasal alar margin are at risk for alar elevation or collapse of the external nasal valve during wound healing. To reduce the chance of such complications, free cartilage grafts may be used as part of the reconstruction. However, if the defect is large enough so that the free cartilage graft does not fill most of the defect, wound contraction can still lead to alar displacement. In these situations, skin may need to be recruited from either the forehead or cheek in the form of an interpolation flap to cover both the free cartilage graft and the residual cutaneous defect. Typically, such reconstructions require multiple procedures at separate time periods and pose prolonged wound care and an inconvenience to the patient. We describe a case of a 94-year-old male who desired an aesthetic reconstruction of a large nasal alar defect that required only a single operative visit. To simplify the repair into a one-stage procedure, a tunneled cheek interpolation flap was performed over a free cartilage graft.