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| NAC (nipple areola complex) | Overall designation for nipple and surrounding areola. This area is moved in its entirety when performing a breast lift. |
| Nail matrix | The nail bed, from where the nail is produced and grows from. |
| Naso-frontal flap | Stem flap, e.g. used for nose reconstruction, often after tumor excision. Based on arterial supratrochlearis (+ possibly supraorbitalis). The flap is rotated and placed down towards the nose tip for reconstruction. The donor site is closed with a vertical cicatrice. The stalk is divided three weeks after the patch is healed. |
| Nasolabial flap | Local skin patch used to reconstruct ala nasi, the one side of the dorsum nasi or the floor of the mouth. The donor site scar is hidden by placing the cicatrice in the nasolabial furrow. Cases: https://plastsurgeon.com/facial-flaps/interpolated-flap/case-2-nasolabial-flap/ https://plastsurgeon.com/facial-flaps/interpolated-flap/case-3-bcc-on-the-nasal-alae/ |
| Nasolabial furrow | Bilateral furrow from nose to mouth. |
| Needle holder/ needle driver | A surgical instrument for handling the needle during suturing. The needle holder is held with the 1st and 4th fingers and fastened ⅔ from the tip of the needle. Link: https://plastsurgeon.com/surgical-instruments-2/needle-holder/ |
| Nerve block | Local anaesthesia of a specific nerve, causing numbness of the specific innervated area. Often allowing surgery of a larger area including cartilage and bone in depth. |
| Nevus | Birthmark. An area of the skin with increased concentration of melanocytes. The vast majority are benign. Are found in several variants: Congenital (innate), atypical, blue, spitz, and more. If melanocytes do not grow invasively through the basement membrane, it is benign. |
| No. 10 blade / surgical blade 10 | Scalpel blade with a soft, curved cutting edge. It is used for making large excisions and incisions. |
| No. 11 blade / surgical blade 11 | Sharpened scalpel blade with a straight cutting edge. It is often used for stab incisions and excisions through tissue, e.g. the lip or the cartilage of the ear. |
| No. 15 blade / surgical blade 15 | Smaller blade with a curved cutting edge. Most often used for small excisions in the facial area, where precision is needed. |
| No. 21 blade / surgical blade 21 | Scalpel blade with a soft, curved cutting edge, similar to a no. 10 blade but bigger in size. It is used for large excisions and incisions. |
| Nodulus | A node in the skin with a diameter of more than 5 mm. |
| Non–melanoma skin cancer | Includes cancers of the skin which are not birthmark cancers (malignant melanoma). The two most common forms of non-melanoma skin cancer are planocellular- / spinocellular carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. Link: https://plastsurgeon.com/non-melanoma-skin-cancer/ |
| Non-soluble suture | Suture of nylon material. Must be removed after some days (depending on location) as the tissue itself is unable to dissolve this type of thread. |
| Nucha | The back of the neck, or the portion of the body behind the head. |
| NWPT (negative pressure wound therapy) / VAC (vacuum-assisted closure) | Using a pump, intermittent or constant negative pressure off the wound is secured, to promote the wound healing process, extracting excess fluid from the wound, and cleaning the wound for debris, contamination and potential infection. Used for both acute and chronic wounds as well as for 2nd and 3rd-degree burns. Link: https://plastsurgeon.com/wound-management/negative-pressure-wound-therapy/products-and-systems/ |
