Pilonidal Sinus Surgery

What Is Pilonidal Sinus Surgery?

A pilonidal sinus or cyst occurs when hair falls into the natal cleft of the buttocks, piercing the skin and causing infection. Surgery is necessary to remove the abscess created by the pilonidal sinus. Young men tend to be more prone to contracting this condition than young women.

Pilonidal sinus surgery involves cutting into the abscess to allow it to drain and removing the sinus altogether once the inflammation goes down. In preparation for pilonidal sinus surgery, medical staff will shave the patient and administer general anesthesia. The surgeon then removes the sinus and infected tissue. Once this is complete, the surgeon determines whether to leave the wound open for continued drainage or to close it with stitches. In some cases, the surgeon may insert a small tube into the wound to drain the pus for 1 to 2 days, after which the tube and stitches are removed.

If the wound must be left open, the surgeon sutures part of the wound’s edges shut and places an absorbent pack in the wound. Healing is slower than when the wound is sutured shut. Full recovery can take 8 weeks or longer. Patients typically leave the hospital the day after their pilonidal sinus surgery, but should avoid sitting on the wound (including while driving). They are usually able to return to work 2 to 3 weeks post surgery. Weekly shaving may be necessary to prevent the recurrence of a sinus.



Advertise With Us	Medical Tourism Articles	Medical Tourism Blogs