Repair of Large Nasal Septal Perforations Using the Upper Lateral Cartilage Mucosal Flap

Objectives/Hypothesis To describe the surgical technique and closure outcomes of larger septal perforation repair incorporating mucosa from the undersurface of the upper lateral cartilage into a superiorly positioned advancement flap. Study Design Retrospective case series. Methods A chart review was performed for patients who underwent perforation repair utilizing bilateral nasal mucosal flaps which incorporated mucosa from the undersurface of the upper lateral cartilage into the superior flap between January 2009 and December 2020. Results Sixty-six patients met study criteria. Prior septal surgery was the most common (28.8%) etiology. Mean perforation length and height were 18.9 and 14.4 mm, respectively. Complete perforation closure was noted in 91.2% of patients followed for a minimum of 6 months (mean follow-up time 32.1 months). Twelve patients underwent secondary surgery for persistent nasal obstruction. Postoperative loss of dorsal height was noted in seven patients. The NOSE-perf scores were available for the last 15 repairs and demonstrated significant symptom improvement from a mean score of 26.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.2) to 14.5 (95% CI, 5.2) (P < .0001). Conclusion The ventral surface of the upper lateral cartilage can provide additional mucosa for incorporation into a superior advancement flap to achieve successful closure for larger septal perforations. Optimization of surgical outcomes for this challenging condition may require secondary functional or aesthetic procedures. Level of Evidence IV Laryngoscope, 2021