Pilonidal cyst (sinus) surgery

This is an inflammation of subcutaneous tissues of the intergluteal cleft. The condition is caused by broken hairs which grow into the skin, causing inflammation and abscesses. About 0.7% of the population is affected. It affects mostly young people, between 20 and 40, most often men (men to women ratio is 3-4:1).

The treatment involves the resection of the lesion within healthy tissue and leaving the wound to heal through granulation. An alternative procedure is the Limberg flap method. Patients benefit from a significantly shorter recovery time and a reduction of pain to minimum.

The decision on your surgery is taken during a pre-operative visit when a doctor assesses your eligibility, selects the optimum procedure and orders necessary tests.  The decision is made on the basis of test results and your general condition. Then a convenient date is selected.

• One week before the procedure you should have the following blood tests done: full blood count, electrolyte test, coagulation test, blood type, glucose, creatinine, Hbs antigen, ANTI-HCV.
• If you have other medical conditions, please consult your attending doctors and bring a certificate that there are no contraindications to the surgical procedure.
• If you are on anticoagulant treatment, you should switch to subcutaneous medications 7 days before the procedure.
• Consult with the attending doctor whether to take any medications on the day of the procedure.
• On the day of the surgery you should come to hospital on an empty stomach.

• The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia.
• During the procedure a skin flap is moved from the gluteus maximum muscle using Limberg method.
• A Redon drain may be left in the wound for one day.
• The procedure lasts from 45 to 80 minutes.

After the removal of the pilonidal cyst by Limberg method you can return to normal activity within one week, but you should follow these guidelines:

• Physical exercise should be limited for up to 2 weeks after the surgery.
• The wound should be rinsed with Octenisept solution every day.
• Sutures are removed on the 7th and 14th day after the procedure,
• Histopathology results should be collected 14 days after the surgery.