Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for Sacrococcygeal Pilonidal Disease: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Surgical Outcomes
• Wound Healing

Background:

• Pilonidal disease presents significant physical and economic challenges.
• Evidence for platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in surgical wound healing is evolving.
• This study systematically reviews PRP's efficacy in sacrococcygeal pilonidal surgery.

Approach:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted in December 2021.
• Nine studies involving 930 patients (621 open, 309 minimally-invasive) were included.
• Meta-analysis was performed on data from open surgery studies.

Key Points:

• PRP significantly reduced wound healing time by 13.98 days in open surgery (p<0.001).
• Postoperative pain and time off work were also significantly reduced with PRP in open surgery.
• Minimally-invasive surgery studies showed a modest benefit, but heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis.

Conclusions:

• PRP shows significant promise for improving wound healing outcomes in pilonidal disease surgery.
• Further high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with standardized PRP methods are needed.
• Consistent methodology in future RCTs will help substantiate PRP's benefits.