High Rate of Major Morbidity after Surgical Excision for Pilonidal Disease

Recurrent pilonidal disease has been reported to occur in up to 30% of patients after their initial infection. Surgical resection is often performed to prevent recurrence of disease, however, morbidity after surgical excision from incision complications and disease recurrence is common. The aim of this study was to quantify major morbidity after initial pilonidal excision.

Patients with pilonidal disease who had initial excision procedures between 2011-2013 at hospitals reporting data to the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) were included. Predictors of the composite outcome of major surgical site complication or surgical re-excision within one year were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to examine time to surgical re-excision.

Of the 1,932 patients included, 4.7% (n = 138) had a major surgical site complication, 8.0% (n = 154) had a surgical re-excision, and 8.7% experienced either event within one year of their initial excision. The majority of re-excisions for recurrent disease occurred during the first two years after the initial excision. Risk factors associated independently with a greater risk of the composite outcome included older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.04 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.00-1.07), p = 0.03), male gender (OR 1.49 [95% CI 1.09-2.08), p = 0.01), and the presence of a complex chronic gastrointestinal condition (OR 4.33 [95% CI 1.96-9.59], p < 0.001).

Surgical excision of pilonidal disease is often complicated by site complications and nearly 1 of 10 patients develop recurrent disease requiring re-excision within two years after their initial excision. Future research into alternative therapies to treat pilonidal disease is warranted.