Pilonidal Sinus FAQs

Following are the common questions about Pilonidal Sinus:

1. What is a pilonidal sinus?
2. What are the causes of pilonidal sinus?
3. What are the symptoms of pilonidal sinus?
4. What are the risk factors for pilonidal sinus?
5. Who is the ideal doctor to treat pilonidal sinus?
6. Who is at a high risk of developing pilonidal sinus?
7. What diagnostic tests are done before pilonidal sinus treatment?
8. What are the treatment options for pilonidal sinus?
9. What happens during pilonidal sinus surgery?
10. Which is the best surgical treatment of pilonidal sinus?
11. What are the benefits of choosing laser surgery for pilonidal sinus?
12. What is the cost of pilonidal sinus surgery?
13. How is the cost of pilonidal sinus surgery affected?
14. How much time does pilonidal sinus surgery take?
15. Do I need hospitalization after undergoing surgery for pilonidal sinus?
16. How much time does it take to recover after pilonidal sinus surgery?
17. What dietary changes do I need to follow to reduce the severity of pilonidal sinus?
18. Can pilonidal sinus cause cancer?
19. Can pilonidal sinus cause infection?
20. Is pilonidal sinus a severe condition?

Q. What is a pilonidal sinus?

A. The pilonidal sinus, also called a pilonidal cyst, is a small hole or channel under the skin and has pus or inflamed fluid accumulation that may also contain blood. It often occurs in the cleft, at the lower back, or at the top of the buttocks.

Pilonidal sinus may also contain hair and dirt that may cause pain, foul-smelling pus, and blood discharge. It develops when the hair at the top of the cleft gets pushed inside the body, causing dirt to move inside. Experts suggest that the pilonidal sinus develops from an abscess in most cases.

Q. What are the causes of pilonidal sinus?

A. The following are the most common causes of pilonidal sinus:-

• Sitting for long hours
• Wearing tight clothes
• Hair puncture
• Hormonal imbalance
• Rubbing of the skin

Q. What are the symptoms of pilonidal sinus?

A. The following are the common symptoms of pilonidal sinus:-

• Foul-smelling discharge
• Bleeding from the opening of the skin
• Marks just above the crack of the buttocks
• Pain while sitting and standing
• Hair protruding from the lesion

Q. What are the risk factors for pilonidal sinus?

A. The following are the risk factor for pilonidal sinus:-

• Male sex
• Sedentary and inactive lifestyle
• Long hours of sitting
• Excess body hair
• Obesity

Q. Who is the ideal doctor to treat pilonidal sinus?

A. The ideal doctor for treating this problem is a proctologist, general surgeon, or dermatologist who is experienced in pilonidal sinus surgery.

Q. Who is at a high risk of developing pilonidal sinus?

A. People with long-hour sitting jobs are at a high risk of developing pilonidal sinus. It's more common in men as compared to women. It occurs when the hair at the top of the cleft gets pushed inside the body, causing dirt to push inside.

Q. What diagnostic tests are done before pilonidal sinus treatment?

A. The doctor first diagnoses the pilonidal sinus by a physical examination. After that, the doctor may recommend blood tests for proper diagnosis. Usually, imagining tests are not required in the case of pilonidal sinus.

Q. What are the treatment options for pilonidal sinus?

A. A pilonidal sinus looks like a lump, swelling, or an abscess. Several treatment options are there to treat the problem. However, when non-surgical treatments prove ineffective or pilonidal sinus becomes severe, the doctor uses surgical procedures to treat it.

Q. What happens during pilonidal sinus surgery?

A. Pilonidal sinus surgery is done with open surgery and laser surgery. The surgeon removes the pilonidal sinus during the surgery by making an incision. The surgeon uses a blade or scalpel to remove the cyst while open surgery. However, laser energy is used to treat pilonidal sinus during laser surgery.

Q. Which is the best surgical treatment of pilonidal sinus?

A. Laser surgery is considered the best surgical treatment for pilonidal sinus. Laser surgery is an advanced way to treat this problem most effectively.

Q. What are the benefits of choosing laser surgery for pilonidal sinus?

A. The following are the benefits of choosing pilonidal sinus laser treatment:-

• The entire surgical procedure takes around 30 minutes to complete.
• It involves no incisions as laser energy is used to remove the cyst.
• It doesn't require bandaging as there are no stitches or wounds.
• You can resume your daily life routine from the very next day of your surgery.
• Complete recovery takes around 5-7 days.
• The chance of recurrence is almost zero as the laser energy removes the infected area completely.
• It’s performed on an outpatient basis, so you don’t need hospitalization post-procedure.

The success rate of laser surgery is as high as 95-99 percent and the risk of complications during and after the surgery is almost zero. However, you must ensure that you choose an experienced and reliable surgeon to undergo laser surgery for pilonidal sinus.

You can undergo laser surgery after consulting an experienced general surgeon or proctologist if you have pilonidal sinus and you are seeking the best treatment in just one day.

Q. What is the cost of pilonidal sinus surgery?

A. The average cost of pilonidal sinus surgery ranges between Rs. 20,000-1,20,000. However, that's not the final price. It may vary from case to case.

Q. How is the cost of pilonidal sinus surgery affected?

A. The cost of pilonidal sinus surgery is affected by many factors. This mainly includes the following:-

• Size and number of pilonidal sinus
• Tests that are done before the surgery
• Type of surgical procedure (open or laser)
• The fee of the surgeon
• Hospitalization if needed
• Medications post-procedure
• Follow-up meetings with the doctor

Q. How much time does pilonidal sinus surgery take?

A. Pilonidal sinus laser surgery is a daycare procedure that is hardly 30 minutes.

Q. Do I need hospitalization after undergoing surgery for pilonidal sinus?

A. No. You don't need to stay at the hospital post pilonidal sinus surgery. It's a daycare procedure, so the doctor discharges the patient within a few hours of the surgery. However, in some cases, looking at the patient's overall health, the doctor may recommend 1-day hospitalization.

Q. How much time does it take to recover after pilonidal sinus surgery?

A. The recovery depends on the type of surgery you undergo for pilonidal sinus. After open surgery, you may need one day of hospitalization. However, you can resume your daily routine after 2-3 days, and complete recovery takes around two weeks.

However, laser surgery is a daycare procedure, so you don't need to stay at the hospital post-procedure. You can resume your daily routine from the very next day, and complete recovery takes around 5-7 days.

Q. What dietary changes do I need to follow to reduce the severity of pilonidal sinus?

A. Following are the dietary changes that you can follow as it helps in reducing the severity of pilonidal sinus:-

• Eat healthy diet
• Add fruits and vegetables to your diet
• Avoid junk foods
• Don't eat hot and spicy foods
• Add garlic to your diet or apply garlic paste to the affected area
• Stop caffeinated drinking beverages
• Drink 3-4 liters of water every day

Q. Can pilonidal sinus cause cancer?

A. No. pilonidal sinus doesn't cause cancer. However, if it's left untreated for an extended period, it increases the risk of developing cancer called carcinoma. Therefore, it's better to consult an expert doctor and get the proper treatment when diagnosed with this problem.

Q. Can pilonidal sinus cause infection?

A. Yes. Pilonidal sinus can cause infection if left untreated. Once the pilonidal sinus becomes infected, it may start oozing pus, foul-smelling blood. In addition, an infected pilonidal sinus can be painful, and in such a case, it needs to be removed surgically.

Q. Is pilonidal sinus a severe condition?

A. Usually, pilonidal sinus is not a severe condition. However, once it becomes infected, the disease can be severe. Once the pilonidal sinus becomes infected, it forms an abscess, causing pain, smelly discharge. In such a case, medical treatment becomes crucial to avoid further complications. Therefore, it’s essential to consult the doctor, get it diagnosed, and treated as soon as you start noticing its symptoms.