Chronic pilonidal disease. An assessment of 150 cases

During a four-year period, 150 consecutive patients were treated for chronic pilonidal disease by one of three different operative techniques. Patients with acute pilonidal abscesses or with complex or multiple recurrent pilonidal disease were excluded from this study. The average healing time was four weeks and the average length of hospital stay was one day. The overall recurrence rate was 8 percent (12 of 150 patients). The method of management most commonly used was fistulotomy with marsupialization of the sinus tract or cyst wall (125 of 150 patients). This simple and effective technique gave excellent results with a 6 percent recurrence rate (7 of 125 patients). On the basis of their experience, the authors propose that chronic pilonidal disease usually can be treated successfully on a same day surgery basis with fistulotomy, minimal excision, and marsupialization.