Pursuing symmetry in reconstruction of the upper lip apical triangle with a hatchet flap

Abstract

Various techniques have been described for the reconstruction of surgical defects of the upper lip after skin cancer. Here, we propose a technique for reconstructing medium or large defects located at the junction of the nasogenian and nasolabial folds with a hatchet flap. We report on three patients treated with this technique, describing the surgical procedure and some interesting caveats. Two patients reconstructed with direct closure in this location are described in order to emphasize the better aesthetic result achieved with the hatchet flap, especially in terms of symmetry. While direct closure tends to decrease the ipsilateral nasolabial fold, the hatchet flap extends the scar to the fold below the commissure in a natural wrinkle, becoming symmetrical and much less noticeable after a few months. We conclude that the hatchet flap is technically easy and rapidly implemented for defects in the apical triangle of the upper lip, and achieves better results in terms of facial symmetry than direct closure.