The application of dermis grafts in deformities of the nose.

Dermis grafts were used by themselves or in conjunction with a more rigid material such as cartilage or bone in a series of 220 patients during a period of 18 years. Of these, 182 patients were seen between 6 months and 2 years after operation. The significant problem during the earlier postoperative period was a transient swelling of the recipient site, which was seen in 150 of the 182 patients (82 percent) and which lasted for up to 6 months. It resolved spontaneously in all cases without active treatment in between 3 and 6 months. In the late postoperative period a significant permanent decrease in graft volume with a return to the previous deformity occurred in 9 of 182 patients (5 percent). This paper illustrates the versatility of dermis grafts in dealing with a variety of iatrogenic and accidental traumatic deformities of the nose.