How Well Do Skin Grafts Match From Inner Ear to Nose?

asked 1 year ago by Tess75 in Denver, CO
Latest answer by M. Christine Lee, MD
Question viewed 1,801 times
Tags: ears, nose, graft, skin

I will be having Mohs surgery next week, for two basal cell areas on the right side of my nose. I have fair skin that tends to be reddish on my face (Irish complexion, rosacea) and am concerned that a skin graft from somewhere else won't match. The surgeon said that skin from the inner ear can match the skin on the nose. What have you found to be the case?

7 answers to How Well Do Skin Grafts Match From Inner Ear to Nose?

Skin graft for nose repair

Skin grafts can be very good at matching nose skin if chosen from the correct location. The inner ear or "concha" can be useful for nose tips since it may have similar pore appearance due to glands called sebaceous glands on the nose and ear. Other areas behind and in front of the ear can also be used but the skin color and texture and thickness match are critical. If you are with a fellowship trained Mohs surgeon, they will know how to best repair your nose after the... more

Shawn Allen, MD
Boulder Dermatologist

Skin grafting for nose after Mohs surgery

Many different criteria are taken into consideration by the Mohs surgeon in determining the best donor site for a skin graft. These include: color, texture, pore size, thickness, and presence of lesions or hair. The skin in the inner ear (known as the conchal bowl) is a very good match to the skin of the nostril. They have similar color, texture, and pore size which make for an excellent match.

M. Christine Lee, MD
Walnut Creek Dermatologic Surgeon

Skin grafts on the nose following Mohs surgery

Skin grafts are a reasonable alternative for reconstruction of a surgical defect that remains after removing a skin cancer. Although the match in color is never perfect, most often , if the graft is harvested from a donor area that appears to closely match the recipient area's surrounding tone and color, the results will be excellent. You should rely on your surgeon to choose the best donor site.

Steven Hacker, MD
West Palm Beach Dermatologic Surgeon

www.palmbeachdermasurgery.com

Skin grafts work well for many nasal Mohs defects.

Full-thickness skin grafts can be a great option for reconstruction of nasal Mohs defects. They often require dermabrasion ("sanding" of the skin graft and surrounding skin) to help them blend in optimally. You can review a recent article covering this issue at the attached link. When you get to the webpage, click on this link "Reconstruction of Cutaneous Nasal Defects. Stephen Weber and Shan Baker."

Stephen Weber, MD
Lone Tree Facial Plastic Surgeon

Sking graft for nostril after Mohs surgery

Skin grafts and flaps are commonly done for reconstruction of nostrils. A graft is never a perfect match but doesn't change the surrounding anatomy as a flap from neighboring skin can do. Even if a patch of skin were taken from the other nostril (no one would do this), skin grafts change color and texture because they grow a new blood supply.with makeup skin grafts can look very good, and the conchal bowl of the ear provides a good match for many nostril defects provided that the hole is... more

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Conchal grafts are reasonable matches for the nose

Grafts from the concha (the bowl part of your ear) can match the sebaceous nature of a nose well. If you have two cancers on the side of your nose, you may want to talk to your Mohs surgeon before deciding on a graft. Make sure your Mohs surgeon is fellowship trained. A flap may be a better alternative to a graft and this uses adjacent skin which matches the nose better.

Brent Spencer, MD
Frisco Dermatologic Surgeon

Matchin skin for skin grafting

Skin from the inner ear/ around the ear and neck make good matches for facial skin grafts. Your Mohs surgeon will make the decision on the site of donor skin depending on the size of the defect and the color/match of the surrounding skin.

Purvisha Patel, MD
Germantown Dermatologist

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