Pilonidal Sinus Surgery

A pilonidal sinus is a nest of hairs under the skin at the top of the cleft of the buttocks, where the buttocks separate. Hairs pass inwards through the little holes (sinuses) in the skin. Germs build up among the hairs, causing pain, swelling and discharge. A pilonidal sinus will not cause any symptoms until it becomes infected.
This disease affects twice as many men as women.
If a pilonidal sinus becomes infected, it should be treated immediately to prevent the infection spreading. It may initially be treated with antibiotics, but if the sinus keeps becoming infected, surgical removal of the sinus is usually recommended.
The aim of operation is to get rid of the hairs and close off the space under the skin. The problems are to get good healing and to stop the pilonidal sinus coming back. There are many operations for this. In all methods the tissue is taken out. The differences are in the ways of getting the space healed up properly. One way is to let nature fill in the space with scar tissue. Another is to stitch up the space and let the wound heal. Ask your surgeon which way he finds best.
Most operations mean a day or two in hospital. The small operations with local anaesthesia are usually as day visits to hospital.