Laying open (deroofing) and curettage under local anesthesia for pilonidal disease: An outpatient procedure

AIM: To test the efficacy of lay open (deroofing, not excision) with curettage under local anesthesia (LOCULA) for pilonidal sinus as an outpatient procedure.METHODS: LOCULA procedure was done for all types of pilonidal disease. The primary outcome measure was cure rate. The secondary outcome measures were hospital stay, operating time, return to work, healing time and complication rate.RESULTS: Thirty-three (M/F-30/3, mean age-23.4 ± 5.8 years) consecutive patients were operated and followed for 24 mo (6-46 mo). Eleven were pilonidal abscess and 22 were chronic pilonidal disease. Six had recurrent disease. Operating time and the hospital stay was 22.3 ± 5.6 min and 63.8 ± 22.3 min respectively. The patients could resume normal work in 4.3 ± 3.2 d and the healing time was 42.9 ± 8.1 d. Thirty (93.8%) patients had complete resolution of the disease and two (6.2%) had a recurrence. Both the recurrences happened in patients who had complete healing but ignored the prescribed recommendations. One out of these got cured after getting operated again with the same procedure. Thus the overall success rate of this procedure was 96.9%.CONCLUSION: Lay open (deroofing) with curettage procedure under local anesthesia is an effective procedure to treat both simple and complicated pilonidal sinus and abscess. It is a simple procedure, has a high cure rate (up to 97%), doesn’t require admission and is associated with minimal morbidity and scarring. Considering the distinct advantages, this procedure has the potential to become the first line procedure for treating pilonidal disease.     

Ambulatory treatment of chronic pilonidal sinuses with lateral incision and primary suture

Background

Outpatient management is appropriate for chronic pilonidal sinuses. Even though there are different surgical treatments for pilonidal sinuses, the outcome may not be uniformly satisfactory. The aim of this paper was to examine the ambulatory treatment of chronic pilonidal sinuses with lateral incision and primary suture.

Methods

We present our experience with outpatient management of asymptomatic chronic pilonidal disease. We prospectively studied patients presenting with pilonidal disease from Mar. 20, 2005, to Mar. 20, 2008. All were managed as outpatients. We reviewed presentation, treatment, healing, time off work and recurrences.

Results

In all, 150 patients (131 men and 19 women) with chronic pilonidal sinuses underwent ambulatory plain lateral excision and primary repair during the study period. The mean age of patients was 22.1 years. The mean duration of surgery was 18.4 minutes. No general complications occurred. Local complications consisted of 3 wound infections and 4 wound hematomas. No sinus recurrence occurred. The healing rate was fast in all patients.

Conclusion

Advantages of ambulatory plain lateral excision and primary repair include immediate treatment, minimal pain and a quick return to normal activities. This method is a simple and effective procedure in the treatment of uncomplicated pilonidal sinuses.     

Results of the Limberg transposition flap in the treatment of pilonidal sinus

The surgical treatment of pilonidal sinus with the Limberg transposition flap will be demonstrated in 40 patients (22 male; 18 female). First step is draining the infect by incision, followed by radical excision of the pilonidal sinus and covering of the defect by a rhomboid transposition flap. In 39 out of 40 cases primary wound healing occurred. No recurrence has yet been encountered. In one case a seroma was observed which was drained and showed secondary wound healing. The mean hospital stay was 7.9 days and the mean time until return to work was about 15 days. We consider the Limberg transposition flap to be an effective treatment of pilonidal sinus disease due to its technical simplicity and low complication rate.     

PILONIDAL DISEASE

All patients with pilonidal disease (abscess or sinus) managed surgically (‘laying open’) between 1975 and 1990 in the Colorectal Service, University Department of Surgery, Wellington School of Medicine were reviewed. A total of 323 operations (177 males, 146 females) were performed in 311 patients. Seven males and 5 females required two operations before satisfactory healing was achieved (recurrence rate 3.8%). Males were older than females (mean, 26.4 vs. 21.5 years). One patient's wound bled following surgery and required immediate repacking. There were no other wound problems. One hundred and seventy-seven patients presented acutely with pilonidal abscess and 146 patients presented with pilonidal sinus. Patients with pilonidal abscess were younger than those with pilonidal sinus (male, 25.8 vs 26.9 years and female, 20.8 vs 23.5 years). There were proportionately more Maori patients who presented acutely. ‘Laying open’ under general anaesthesia seems to be a safe and successful method for managing pilonidal disease in all but the few patients in whom multiple operations have been performed previously or in those in whom healing has failed to occur. Based on our initial experience of ‘day case’ surgery the procedure could safely be done on an outpatient basis.     

Radical treatment of acute pilonidal abscess by marsupialization

Simple drainage is the most common treatment of pilonidal abscess, but later definitive surgery is often necessary. However, radical treatment can also be performed in a single step by several procedures and even better results. The Authors describe the technique of marsupialization and analyse its long-term outcomes in a retrospective study. Between 1992 and 2001, 43 consecutive patients underwent drainage, curettage and marsupialization for acute pilonidal abscess. The procedure was carried out in outpatient setting (day surgery) after local or spinal anaesthesia. Management of the wound was left to the patient and was periodically checked at our out service. The average operating time was 20 minutes. Complete healing required 4-10 weeks in 95.3% of the patients; a persistent chronic fistula was observed in 4.7%. During the follow-up, 6 recurrences (14.6%) were observed in the healed patients. The treatment was then successful in 81.3% of the cases. Our experience shows that it is possible to carry out a radical management of pilonidal abscess in a single step with a high complete healing rate. Marsupialization proved to be a fast procedure and mainly feasible in the outpatient setting.     

Squamous-cell carcinoma and pilonidal sinus disease. Case report and review of literature

Squamous-cell carcinoma arising in a pilonidal sinus is a rare occasion. Authors report the case of a 60 years old male, with a 15 years history of recurrent pilonidal sinus disease. The patient underwent incisional biopsy, staging with total body CT, and finally radical surgery. The large wound healed by secondary intention, with a complete formation of the scar in three months. After six months, no complications or signs of recurrence were observed. Authors recommend careful inspection of the pilonidal area in all chronic and longstanding inflammatory lesions to identify promptly malignant transformation.     

The rhomboid flap for pilonidal disease

Introduction There have been many surgical techniques described for the treatment of pilonidal sinuses. Recurrent disease causes significant morbidity particularly with time from work. Aim To assess the rhomboid flap's role in promoting one‐stage primary healing in pilonidal disease and to evaluate the morbidity and recurrence. Methods Fifty‐three patients were prospectively recruited of which 27 had previous multiple abscess formation requiring surgical drainage from their pilonidal disease, although none had acute disease at the time of surgery. By using the transposition flap, we were able to obliterate the natal cleft and therefore the rolling action of the buttocks between the cleft in these patients and thereby remove one of the factors involved in pilonidal disease. Hospital stay, healing time, wound infection, wound breakdown and recurrence were noted. Results There were 47 males and 6 females with a median age of 28 years (range 16–64 years). Median follow‐up was 24 months (range 3–36 months). Post‐operative morbidity involved superficial wound infection in 7 (13%) which settled with out‐patient dressings. There were four recurrences (7%), two occurred between the flap and the anal canal, and the other two in the flap margin needing intervention. All the patients healed their wounds and the median healing time was 14 days. Conclusion As this condition affects a predominantly young population causing significant time off from work, we feel that the Rhomboid Flap is useful for difficult cases in that it allows early return to full activity and does not necessitate prolonged postoperative care.     

The Limberg transposition flap in surgical therapy of chronic pilonidal sinus

The operative treatment of pilonidal sinus is characterized by an increased rate of wound healing complications and late recurrences. The Limberg transposition flap is an easy method for covering the defect after excision of the pilonidal sinus. The flap smooths out the deep skin fold of the rima ani and counteracts in this manner an important pathogenetic factor of pilonidal sinus recurrence. Between 6/96 and 7/99 we treated 42 patients using this method without complications of wound healing or recurrences. Comparison of literature results of different operative treatments (open granulation, primary suture, Z-plasty) shows lessened complication and recurrence rates for the Limberg transposition flap, which is the method of choice for chronic pilonidal sinus nowadays.     

Treatment of pilonidal sinus with excision and primary suture using a local, resorbable antibiotic carrier. Results of a prospective randomized study]

The excision of a pilonidal sinus with wound healing by second intention, often results in a long duration of treatment. On the other hand, primary suture after excision has a high rate of abscess formation. In a randomized study we treated 40 patients with excision of pilonidal sinus, insertion of a collagen sponge containing Gentamicin and primary suture (group 1) to prevent this abscess formation. Another 40 patients were treated in the same way but without applying the Gentamicin-collagen sponge (group 2). There had been no significant differences as to the history and duration of the disease, the wound size, the degree of inflammation, the weight of the patients or the amount of hair near the sinus. In group 1 only 7.5% of the patients had a postoperative abscess formation, in contrast to group 2, with an abscess rate of 52.5% and consecutive surgery (p less than 0.001). One year after the operation the recurrence rate was 0 in both groups. Considering the results mentioned, surgical excision of the pilonidal sinus in combination with insertion of a resorbable antibiotic sponge we recommend this therapy.     

Delayed wound healing in sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus coincides with an altered collagen composition

BACKGROUND: Although patients with pilonidal sinus are young and, thus, are expected to heal well, a delayed healing with high risk of recurrence frequently is observed. This study was initiated to test whether disorders in the extracellular matrix (ECM) may be detected in patients with pilonidal sinus and delayed wound healing or recurrent disease, respectively. METHODS: In 48 patients, tissue specimens were obtained at the index operation. All patients were treated by local excision and primary wound closure. The collagen type I/III ratio, the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -9, and -13, as well as the proliferation index (Ki67) and the macrophage infiltrate (CD68) were measured. Patients with an uneventful wound healing by primary intention were compared with those in which the healing by primary intention fails (secondary healing), and patients suffering first onset of pilonidal sinus or to those patients who had undergone previous surgery for pilonidal sinus. Clinical parameters and comorbidity were evaluated. RESULTS: Patients with secondary healing, exhibited at the index operation a significantly lower collagen type I/III ratio (2.34+/-0.4) compared with patients with problem-free wound healing (3.04+/-0.7). Furthermore, significantly higher expression of MMP-1, -9, and 13, and a significantly higher proliferation index (Ki67) were found in the specimens of the patients with secondary healing. In patients in whom the operation was performed because of a recurrence expression of both Ki67 and CD68 were significantly higher. Smokers had an increased risk for suffering recurrent disease, but did not show differences in the collagen ratio. CONCLUSIONS: As a novel finding, this study indicates that disturbances of the ECM may predict a delayed wound healing after pilonidal sinus surgery.     

Pilonidal Sinus -- Primary Closure also in Case of Abscess?

After excision of pilonidal sinus treatment consists either in open procedure or primary closure. We present the results of 45 consecutive patients (male 29, female 16, age 32 +/- 13 years), who underwent surgery between September 2001 and December 2002. Fourteen patients had simple fistula without infection, 18 had fistulas with putride secretion and 13 had abscess. Primary closure with direct suture was performed in 34 patients (76 %: 13 x simple fistula, 13 x fistula with putride secretion, 8 x abscess). Eleven patients were treated by layopen procedure and secondary wound healing. Wound infection occurred in 13 patients (7 x superficial, 6 x deep). Mean time of postoperative treatment was 15 +/- 3 days after closure and primary healing and 66 +/- 15 days after open proce dure or secondary healing. Mean time out of work was 19 +/- 10 respectively 52 +/- 19 days. A recurrence of fistula occurred in eight patients after primary closure (18 %) and none after open procedure. Also in cases of pilonidal sinus with infection, primary wound closure can be carried out even though the rate of recurrences is higher than after open procedure. A successful primary closure significantly reduces time of illness and time out of work.     

Pilonidal sinus: finding the right track for treatment

Management of pilonidal sinus is frequently unsatisfactory. No method satisfies all requirements for the ideal treatment--quick healing, no hospital admission, minimal patient inconvenience, and low recurrence--but greater awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of existing methods would lead to improved management. Early excision of the pilonidal pit at the time of treatment of pilonidal abscess reduces the high (40 per cent) risk of subsequent sinus. Treatments for pilonidal sinus that flatten the natal cleft halve the risk of recurrence. En block excision of pilonidal sinus with secondary healing should be abandoned and emphasis given to development of treatments, such as primary asymmetric closure, which have more potential. Some treatments are operator-dependent and, to achieve the best results, junior surgeons must be correctly trained and supervised. Future treatment studies must be prospective and randomized, and should compare healing time, recurrence rates beyond 3 years, nurse and hospital visits, patient inconvenience and loss of income.     

A comparison of flap reconstruction vs the laying open technique or excision and direct suture for pilonidal sinus disease: A meta‐analysis of randomised studies

Many treatments have been described for pilonidal disease, but recurrence cannot be completely eliminated. The aim of this study was to perform a meta‐analysis of randomised, controlled trials comparing flap repair vs the laying open technique and/or excision and direct closure techniques in the treatment of chronic pilonidal sinus disease. The primary outcome measure was the recurrence rate. Secondary outcomes were complete wound‐healing time, duration of the incapacity to work, quality of life and patient satisfaction, postoperative pain, wound infection, bleeding or haematoma, skin wound complications, and duration of hospital stay. Seventeen studies were included. The meta‐analysis demonstrated a lower risk of recurrence, a shorter duration of incapacity to work, a lower risk of wound infections, a lower risk of skin wound complications, and a shorter duration of hospitalisation in favour of flap vs direct closure. A shorter time to complete wound healing and a shorter duration of incapacity to work for flap vs the laying open technique were observed. Superiority of flap repair vs direct closure in pilonidal sinus treatment was demonstrated in this meta‐analysis. These results suggest avoiding primary direct closure in clinical practice. Compared with the laying open technique, flaps result in faster healing and a shorter time to return to activities.     

Influence of failure of primary wound healing on subsequent recurrence of pilonidal sinus. combined prospective study and randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To find out whether failure of primary wound healing after excision and primary suture for chronic pilonidal sinus predicts recurrence. DESIGN: Follow-up of one prospective study and one subsequent randomised, multicentre study. SETTING: Three teaching hospitals in WesternNorway. SUBJECTS: A total of 197 consecutive patients operated on for chronic pilonidal sinus. INTERVENTIONS: Fifty two patients in the prospective group were given cloxacillin perioperatively. In the randomised study, 145 patients were randomised to have either a single preoperative dose of cefoxitin 2 g intravenously (n = 73) or no prophylaxis (n = 72). Patients were followed up for a median of 7 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Recurrence of pilonidal sinus. RESULTS: In the prospective group there were 10 recurrences (19%). In the randomised study 6 patients (8%) who had been given antibiotic prophylaxis had a recurrence compared with 14 patients (19%) who had not been given prophylaxis (p = 0.09). In both groups, failure of primary normal healing was significantly associated with early recurrence (p = 0.0002). Neither the use of antibiotics nor sex had any significant influence on the incidence of recurrences. Most recurrences occurred within the first year. CONCLUSION: Wound complications significantly influenced the recurrence rate whereas antibiotics did not. Most recurrences were seen early.     

Oblique excision with primary closure for the treatment of pilonidal sinus

Although pilonidal disease of the sacrococcygeal region is common, controversy still exists regarding its treatment. The goal of treatment should be to prevent recurrence while minimizing the patient's postoperative pain and disability. During a two-year period, 32 consecutive patients (Group A) were treated for chronic pilonidal disease by oblique excision and primary closure. The results were compared with 45 patients (Group B) who had been treated by vertical excision and primary closure. Patients with acute pilonidal abscess or recurrent pilonidal disease were excluded from the study. The mean follow-up was 15.9 months for Group A and 19.6 months for Group B. The average length of hospital stay and time for return to daily activities were 3.18±1.31 vs. 5.53±4.11 days and 10.4±14.37 vs. 12.91±39.17 days in Groups A and B, respectively (p<0.001 and p<0.01). The overall recurrence rate was 35.5% in Group B whereas there were no recurrences in Group A. On the basis of our current experience, oblique excision with primary closure achieves the most promising treatment of this condition.     

Treatment of pilonidal sinus by primary closure with a transposed rhomboid flap compared with deep suturing: a prospective randomised clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess two techniques of primary closure after excision of pilonidal sinus. DESIGN: Prospective randomised study. SETTING: University department of surgery, United Arab Emirates. SUBJECTS: 46 patients with chronic pilonidal sinus disease, 24 treated by rhomboid flap transposition, and 22 by deep suturing technique. MAIN OUTCOME: Early mobility and recurrence. RESULTS: All patients in the rhomboid flap transposition group healed their wounds primarily compared with 17 in the primary deep suturing group (77%). (P = 0.02). Five patients wounds broke down as a result of haematoma and infection (23%). The mean hospital stay for the rhomboid flap technique was 6 days compared with 9 days after deep suturing, and the mean follow up for both groups was 18 months, the rhomboid flap group returned to work a mean of nine days earlier than the deep suturing group (23 days). No recurrence has been identified yet in the rhomboid flap group, while 2 recurrences have developed in the deep suturing group (9%). CONCLUSION: Primary closure after excision of pilonidal sinus with a transposed rhomboid flap is successful in the management of pilonidal sinus and is superior to primary closure by deep suturing.     

Scarless outpatient ablation of pilonidal sinus: a pilot study of a new minimally invasive treatment

Pain and secretion of purulent materials are symptoms that are often associated with the pilonidal sinus. Generally, these symptoms are neglected by patients for a long time. Patients seek medical attention too late, fearing a prolonged period of pain and inability after surgery. The optimal therapy for pilonidal sinus should have the following characteristics: high healing rate, low recurrence rate, minimal postoperative pain and low cost. The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness and safety of a new minimally invasive treatment: the scarless outpatient ablation of pilonidal sinus (SOAP). A total of 31 consecutive patients were enrolled; 27 of 31 patients were declared healed after the surgery (87·09%). After 1 year, only 4 of 27 patients (14·81%) reported symptoms related to recurrence of the disease. The average duration of the operation was 7·47 minutes. Patients reported the disappearance of painful symptoms after approximately 2·62 days and had been away from work for 0·53 days. No complications were recorded during the period of study. The advantages of the procedure examined in this study are its simplicity and rapidity of execution, its outpatient setting, its low cost and lack of complications. In our opinion, a randomised controlled trial should be conducted to validate the results related to this technique.     

Surgical treatment of pilonidal sinus with open surgical technique

BACKGROUND: Personal experience and results about the surgical treatment of pilonidal sinus using the open technique operation are reported. METHODS: Between January 1984 and June 2001, 577 patients (457 males and 120 females) underwent this surgical technique. Eighty-five patients presented recurrences of the under-lying disease previously treated with closed technique in other centres. In order to reduce the risks of recurrence, pilonidal sinus was widely resected in order to remove every fistulous track laterally or towards the anal edge. The surgical wound has to be wide, carefully drained, without vertical walls: the outer part of the wound should be wider than its bottom. The persistence of a hairless scar is a suitable result to avoid relapses. RESULTS: This surgical technique allowed very good RESULTS: Postsurgical morbidity was not observed in these patients; the median time to achieve healing was 8+/-2 weeks. Furthermore, after a 3 year follow-up, only 4 patients (0.69%) relapsed. Recurrent dressings are needed; anyway they neither represent a limit of this technique nor lead to a long term absence from working. The postsurgical period of resting is quite similar to that usually prescribed after other surgical techniques and mainly depends on the patient nature. The treatment with connective tissue repairing drugs may be useful to obtain an effective healing. CONCLUSIONS: In the authors' experience, the open surgical technique may obtain the definitive removal of pilonidal sinus, even if particularly wide, with a safe postsurgical course and a very hight percentage (99.31%) of complete healing without any relapse.     

Treatment of pilonidal sinus with primary closure. A twenty-year experience

From 1985 to 2004, 229 patients (171 M, 58 F) aged from 16 to 35 years, affected by pilonidal sinus were treated by complete excision of the sinus and primary closure. Primary healing was achieved in 208 patients (91%) in an average time of 11.9 days. Secondary healing was achieved in 21 patients (9%) in 16-19 days. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 1.9 days and the average time off work 16 days. Recurrent pilonidal sinus was observed in 10 patients with a mean follow-up of 18 months (range: 12-24). On the basis of their experience, the authors conclude that complete excision of the pilonidal sinus with primary closure yields good results in terms of healing, morbidity, early return to work and recurrence rate and can be considered the treatment of choice for pilonidal sinus.     

Surgical treatment of pilonidal disease. Results with the Bascom's technique

AIM: Pilonidal sinus is a considerable source of problems in young patients both in terms of discomfort and in time off to work. Many procedures have been proposed for its treatment but most of them present substantial persistence/recurrence rates. Surgical procedures avoiding a wound in the midline are most likely to succeed. Bascom's technique is the simplest and successful method. The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the results of the Bascom's procedure performed by the authors as to healing time and recurrence rate. All patients with chronic pilonidal disease, treated with Bascom's technique were re-viewed. Complications, healing time and long-term follow-up were considered. RESULTS: A total of 74 patients (52 males, and 22 females), were admitted to the study. The mean age was 26 years; 69 had a small sinus with 1-2 tracks. Three patients (4%) had postoperative bleeding or wound infection. Mean healing time was 39 days but all patients were able to return to work within 1 week from the operation. The mean period of follow-up was 45 months. Six patients developed recurrence (9,2%). Only 3 of them, (because symptomatic) required a second operation. CONCLUSION: Bascom's technique is simple and suitable for one-day surgery with local anesthesia. It also gives favorable results as to return to work and rate of recurrence. Therefore, it is suggested as the procedure of choice in the initial treatment of symptomatic pilonidal disease.