[Treatment of pilonidal sinus with excision and primary suture using a local, resorbable antibiotic carrier. Results...

The excision of a pilonidal sinus with wound healing by second intention, often results in a long duration of treatment. On the other hand, primary suture after excision has a high rate of abscess formation. In a randomized study we treated 40 patients with excision of pilonidal sinus, insertion of a collagen sponge containing Gentamicin and primary suture (group 1) to prevent this abscess formation. Another 40 patients were treated in the same way but without applying the Gentamicin-collagen sponge (group 2). There had been no significant differences as to the history and duration of the disease, the wound size, the degree of inflammation, the weight of the patients or the amount of hair near the sinus. In group 1 only 7.5% of the patients had a postoperative abscess formation, in contrast to group 2, with an abscess rate of 52.5% and consecutive surgery (p less than 0.001). One year after the operation the recurrence rate was 0 in both groups. Considering the results mentioned, surgical excision of the pilonidal sinus in combination with insertion of a resorbable antibiotic sponge we recommend this therapy.