Surgical preparation of nasal defects to enhance the implant‐retained facial prostheses: A case report

Background Skin cancers requiring nasal resection may be surgically reconstructed and/or prosthetically reconstructed. Singular surgical reconstruction may be ideal for smaller defects in which the nasal bone and cartilaginous portions of the nose are maintained, but surgical reconstruction falls short of providing acceptable aesthetic results for more extensive nasal defects. Prosthetic rehabilitation, or a combination of surgical and prosthetic rehabilitation, is more appropriate for larger defects, but prosthesis retention can be challenging when adhesives are required on adjacent mobile and secreting skin. Methods We report 2 cases of patients with extensive nasal defects who were successfully rehabilitated with nasal prostheses. The nasal defects were surgically optimized with immediate preparation of the surgical margins, placement of a split‐thickness skin graft (STSG) within the nasal cavities and exposed maxillary sinuses, and immediate placement of osseointegrated implants. Results Excellent prosthetic retention can be achieved without the need for adhesives. A skin graft‐lined defect has minimal secretions and allows for improved defect cleansing. Conclusion The success of a nasal prosthesis depends on appropriate surgical management of the defect, and, thus, collaboration between the various surgical and prosthetic teams is essential. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: E4–E11, 2017