Aesthetic reconstruction of the nose following skin cancer

Aesthetic reconstruction of the injured nose makes extensive demands of the plastic surgeon’s skill. From its central position in the face, the nose cannot escape the attention of even the casual observer, thus placing a premium on the quality of nasal reconstructions. ‘‘Filling the hole,’’ the primary goal in many reconstructive situations, is but one component of a successful nasal reconstruction [1]. Nasal reconstruction does not seek to precisely duplicate missing anatomy, but rather to create a facsimile of the missing part [2]. Ideally, this will sufficiently resemble a normal nose at a conversational distance to escape attention. To accomplish this, surface cover of similar appearance to surrounding skin must be used in the reconstruction, and its contour must be precisely formed to mimic that of the missing part.