Results of various operations for sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease

A comparative evaluation of 4 operations designed to treat sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease is presented, to show the duration of treatment time and the recurrence rate. Case records of 112 patients (131 operations) were studied. The results indicate that the healing times with the excision and Z-plasty operation are clearly less than those obtained by incision with drainage and packing, excision with primary closure, or excision and lay open. The overall recurrence rate in this series was 28 percent, all occurring within 3 years of the first operation. With the exception of the Z-plasty operation, other methods required considerable outpatient treatment time and were more susceptible to recurrence. We suggest that by reconstructing the intergluteal cleft, the likely effect of the Z-plasty operation is to eliminate factors that may promote pilonidal disease in this region.