Nasal reconstruction in the elderly patient. The case for not letting age determine method.

Objectives: To review a series of nasal reconstructive procedures in elderly patients, and to discuss management issues related to reconstructing nasal defects in patients 80 years and older.

Design: Retrospective review identifying patients 80 years and older undergoing significant nasal reconstructive surgery.

Setting: University and private practice settings.

Patients: Patients 80 years and older requiring significant nasal reconstructive surgery, with nasal defect large enough to require a forehead flap for skin resurfacing. Patients whose defects were allowed to granulate or who had skin grafts were excluded.

Intervention: Nasal reconstructive surgery using advanced surgical techniques such as forehead flaps and cartilage grafts.

Main Outcome Measures: Complications related to surgery or use of anesthesia and whether patients believed the effort and resources required to complete the nasal reconstruction were worth it.

Results: Fifteen patients 80 years and older underwent nasal reconstructive surgery using forehead flaps. In addition, 5 patients had intranasal mucosal grafts and 6 had cartilage grafts. There were no instances of anesthetic or perioperative morbidity or mortality. In addition, all flaps completely survived, and results were judged as good to excellent.

Conclusions: Actuarial evidence shows that a 90-year-old American woman has a 40% chance of living to be 95 years old. Presently, with the improved level of functioning of octogenarians and nonagenarians, we are also concerned with their facial appearance, and want to use the optimum reconstructive technique. The decision of what type of reconstructive surgery to perform should not be based simply on a patient's age but must also take into account the patient's mental status and wishes, and medical condition. Our evidence supports the concept that, in the appropriately chosen patient 80 years and older, forehead flaps and cartilage grafting can be performed without significant morbidity.