Techniques to Enhance Survival of Auricular Composite Graft in Reconstruction of Skin Defects of the Nasal Ala and Nasal Sidewall: A Case Report

Abstract

The auricular composite graft consists of a free tissue graft containing part of the auricular cartilage attached to its overlying skin. The survival of the auricular composite graft depends primarily on its size, and a graft diameter of 1- 2 cm has been previously reported as the critical cut-off size. The auricular composite graft is a reliable option for the reconstruction of skin defects of the nasal sidewall and the nasal ala, and its survival rates can be enhanced with the utilization of specific surgical techniques. These include increasing the contact surface with skin de-epithelization/ perichondrial underlay in the surgical bed, injection of autologous platelet-rich plasma, and non-strangulating nasal sidewall splinting. Here, we report a 64-year-old man with a skin lesion in the right nasal ala who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery. The lesion was reconstructed with the use of composite auricular skin graft.