Recreation of the alar crease using the inverted horizontal mattress suture technique

Alar Crease Creation Suture in Nasal Reconstruction

SUMMARY

The crescentic alar groove serves as a topographic landmark that frames the ala and separates this convex structure from the surrounding cosmetic subunits. This aesthetic landmark can be attenuated or even obliterated during wound repair in this area. Flaps spanning the alar crease are often noticeably bulky with a pin-cushioned appearance in nasal reconstruction, and it is challenging to reproduce a natural-appearing alar groove. The authors proposed a novel technique with a modified, interrupted inverted horizontal mattress suture to create an alar groove. From March of 2016 to May of 2021, 22 consecutive patients with alar defects who underwent nasal reconstruction with the paramedian forehead flap were identified. All patients underwent the authors' novel technique for the creation of the alar groove. The mean follow-up time was 3 years 7 months (range, 14 months to 5 years). A total of 32 alar crease creation suture operations were performed. All uneven wounds healed uneventfully within 2 weeks. Two cases of postoperative fading alar grooves required alar crease creation sutures to be redone. The authors' novel alar crease creation suture is a safe, straightforward, and reliable technique to create an aesthetic alar groove in forehead flap nasal reconstruction. It can create a medially shallow and laterally deep alar crease without apparent complications.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, IV.