Surgical treatment of pilonidal disease: comparison of three different methods in fifty-nine cases

The surgical treatment of pilonidal disease at the Robert Packer Hospital from 1983 to 1989 was reviewed. During that period, 59 patients were operated on for definitive treatment of the disease. The different methods of treatment, namely excision and packing (28 cases), marsupialization (11 cases), and excision and primary closure (20 cases) were compared in terms of age and sex distribution, length of hospital stay, number of post-operative visits, time required for complete healing, complications, and recurrence rate. The operations were performed by surgical residents under the supervision of board-certified surgeons. The average time for complete healing was 21 weeks, 8 weeks, and 3 weeks, respectively, for the different methods. Recurrence rates were essentially nil for all methods. It was concluded that excision and primary closure is the superior method in the treatment of pilonidal disease. The relevant literature was reviewed and the surgical technique discussed.