Pilonidal sinus (pilonidal cyst) removal

What is a pilonidal cyst and what are its symptoms?

Pilonidal sinus (pilonidal cyst, buttock abscess) primarily affects ’hairy’ men, and less often young women. It develops in the lower back’s sacrum area, above the buttocks. In the affected area, the hairs cannot break through to the surface of the skin but develop deep in the subcutaneous fat. The glands that produce sebum and sweat in the hair follicles are unable to release their products to the surface of the skin, so the secretions and the ingrown hairs that cannot break through accumulate beneath the skin in the form of a lump. The exact cause of its formation is not known, but one theory is that the hairs penetrate under the skin, especially if there is a lot of friction on the affected area, e.g., from a sedentary lifestyle or wearing tight clothing, though injury or a skin irritation may also contribute to its formation.

The disease manifests itself as a subcutaneous lump above the sacrum exuding small fistulas that break out towards the skin surface. If it does not become infected, it is usually painless. If infected, it manifests itself as an abscess (pilonidal abscess) accompanied by redness, severe local pain, and possibly fever.

How is pilonidal cyst surgery performed?

In the case of surgery, we distinguish between surgical treatment of the disease associated with an abscess and surgery aimed at complete excision of the affected area.

In the case of a disease with an abscess, urgent surgery is required. During the surgery, the abscess is opened under local anesthesia or short-duration general anesthesia, the pus is drained, and the cavity is washed. The wound is kept open for the next few days until the inflammation has subsided, the abscess has cleared up and the discharge has stopped. The skin wound heals secondarily. As the cause of the inflammation remains deep inside, the abscess is likely to recur at any time. To prevent this, surgical excision of the area at a later date is recommended.

The affected area is removed under general or spinal anesthesia. In one of the basic types of surgery, the fistulous skin surface is excised, the diseased areas are removed, and the wound is left open for secondary wound healing and grafting. The healing time can be shortened using marsupialization, which involves suturing the wound edge to the surrounding skin, creating a freely draining open wound. Such treatment is lengthy and requires bandaging, but there is a good chance of a permanent cure.

Another option for completing the surgery is to close the wound after the excision. In this case, if successful, rapid healing can be expected, but unfortunately it is very common for the wound to become infected and to split, in which case it is necessary to switch to open wound treatment.

What happens after pilonidal cyst surgery?

After the surgery, you will need to stay in the hospital for 1 night. Pain may occur in the first few days, but painkillers prescribed by your doctor can be used. In the case of open wound treatment, the treated area must be cleaned and bandaged at intervals determined by your doctor; a sterile environment and keeping the area free of hair growth are important. In the case of closed wound treatment, wound dressing usually takes less time, the stitches are removed after approximately 10-14 days, and the wound should be protected from straining and sweating.

Pilonidal cyst surgery fee

You can find our current fees under our prices menu.

WHY CHOOSE DR. ROSE PRIVATE HOSPITAL?

• Highly trained specialists, modern diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. The goal of our surgical care is to provide comprehensive care to patients and the highest level of treatment.
• Personalized care. At our specialist appointments, we create an individual treatment plan for each of our patients, considering individual needs and conditions.
• Empathetic, people-centered approach. Our specialists always keep the comfort and safety of our patients in mind.
• Premium inpatient department. Available to our patients are 3 operating theaters and 24 patient rooms with 33 beds to meet all needs. The highest professional standards together with an exclusive environment that aids recovery in safety and with complete peace of mind.
• Fast and predictable appointments. We provide an appointment for the necessary intervention within 1-2 weeks of the first specialist consultation.

If you have any complaints related to pilonidal cyst , please contact the surgeons of Dr. Rose Private Hospital with confidence.