Which treatment modality for pediatric pilonidal sinus: Primary repair or secondary healing?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Surgical Outcomes Research

Background:

• Sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus (SPS) is a common condition requiring surgical intervention.
• Treatment options include primary repair and secondary healing, with varying recovery profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the outcomes of primary repair versus secondary healing for sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus (SPS) in pediatric patients.
• To evaluate key metrics such as hospital stay, pain, recovery time, and recurrence rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 47 pediatric patients (2009-2015) with sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus.
• Patients were categorized based on surgical technique: excision with primary repair (36) or excision with secondary healing (11).
• Data collected included age, gender, BMI, surgical method, hospital stay, recovery duration, and recurrence.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in hospital stay, postoperative pain duration, or recurrence rates between the two groups (p > 0.05).
• A statistically significant shorter recovery time was noted in the primary repair group compared to the secondary healing group (p < 0.05).
• Overall recurrence rate was 23.4%.

Conclusions:

• Primary repair is recommended for treating sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus in children due to faster recovery.
• Both surgical techniques demonstrate comparable results regarding hospitalization, pain, and recurrence.
• Further research may explore long-term outcomes and patient-reported satisfaction for both methods.