OBJECTIVETo evaluate the significance and effect of nasal aesthetic sub-unit principle.

METHODSBased on nasal aesthetic sub-unit, 27 patients were divided into 5 groups according to their nasal defects. They were nasal dorsum, tip, alar lobule, soft triangle and two or two above nasal subunit defects groups. Local restore were applied in defects which were less than 50 percent of one nasal subunit. Total nasal subunit reconstruction were applied, if areas of defects were larger than 50 percent of one nasal subunit 10 cases were received free tissue transplantation (including free skin transplantation, composite auricle transplantation, etc), 4 cases were received local flap, and 13 cases were received forehead flap. Following up for 5 to 37 months, evaluation item were contour and color.

RESULTSSkin transplantation and local flap were all survived. Auricle composite flap were all survived except for 2 cases whose epidermis looked red and purple. These two case's epidermis regained normal 6 months after operation. Forehead flap for nasal reconstruction were all survived, but one of them had to perform secondary surgery for coverage of the exposed nasal frame. 27 cases were followed up in all. Patients and their family members were satisfied with the nasal's contour and color.

CONCLUSIONSGood aesthetic effects comes from nasal aesthetic sub-unit principle in nasal reconstruction and repairing of nasal defects.