No clear benefit was shown for open healing over surgical closure. A clear benefit was shown in favour of off-midline rather than midline wound closure. When closure of pilonidal sinuses is the desired surgical option, off-midline closure should be the standard management.
The treatment of pilonidal disease of the sacrococcygeal region by the method of limited excision and open wound healing.
Results of the surgical treatment of the pilonidal disease of the sacrococcygeal region in correlation with anaerobic infection are analyzed. Fifty patients with the disease recurrence (group A) and fifty patients presenting for operative treatment for the first time (group B) were observed. Twenty-five patients from group B were operated on by the method of limited excision and wound healing by open granulation and the other half were operated on by the method of excision and primary suture. The material for bacteriologic examination was obtained during the operative procedure. All patients underwent control examination at twelve months after the surgery. Recurrence was found in three (6%) group A patients and two (8%) group B patients operated on by the method of excision and open wound healing. Perioperative bacteriologic analysis showed anaerobic colonization in all study patients. Among the patients operated on by the method of excision and primary suture, recurrence was recorded in six (24%) cases. Bacteriologic analysis pointed to anaerobic colonization in five, and to aerobic colonization in only one patient. The significantly lower recurrence rates recorded with the method of limited excision and wound healing open granulation, were explained by favorable conditions for healing in such a wound (reduced conditions for anaerobic infection) compared to wound healing after excision and primary suture.