Is bowel pain and bleeding ruining your morning?
It can be pilonidal sinus!
A pilonidal sinus (PNS) is a small skin hole or tunnel. It may get filled with pus or fluid, leading to the formation of a cyst or abscess. It appears in the cleft at the top of the buttocks and causes severe pain. A pilonidal cyst usually contains dirt, hair, and debris which oozes out pus and blood and emits a foul odour, if infected.
Young adults and men who sit for a long period of time, such as cab drivers, are more prone to this condition.
Pilonidal sinus is a painful condition that needs immediate medical attention and treatment. Don't worry, it can be treated easily through Laser Surgery!
Causes of Pilonidal Sinus
The exact cause of this condition is unknown, but it is considered to be due to the change in the hormones (because it occurs after puberty), hair growth, and friction from clothing or sitting for an extended period of time.
Activities that cause friction, such as sitting, can cause the hair to burrow back under the skin. The body recognises this hair as foreign body and mounts an immune response against it, similar to how it would react to a splinter. This immune response causes the cyst to form around your hair. A person can also have multiple sinuses that connect beneath the skin.
Symptoms of Pilonidal Sinus
Know the symptoms of Pilonidal Sinus:
- Pain near the tailbone
- Discharge of pus
- Swelling of the skin near the tailbone
- Foul smell from the affected area
- Tenderness
- Bleeding
- Sore skin and reddening
Diagnosis of pilonidal sinus
The doctor thoroughly examines the affected area near the tailbone to determine the cause of the pilonidal sinus. Based on the diagnosis, the treatment is recommended. To make the initial diagnosis, the doctor performs an external check, both visually and by touch. In some cases, an MRI scan (an imaging diagnostic test) is also recommended to confirm pilonidal sinus.
Treatment for Pilonidal Sinus
Antibiotics are commonly used to treat this condition. However, the tunnel is quite deep into the skin, so there is no permanent cure. The only permanent solution is to surgically remove the sinus from the skin level deep into the tissue to the end of the tunnel, where the tough hair that acts as the infection's seed is found. And once the entire sinus is removed, the problem is permanently solved.
The best option to treat this condition is surgery. The doctor may suggest surgery depending on the evaluation of your condition. Some of the surgeries are: laser treatment, pilonidal cystectomy, and advanced flap surgery.
Laser Treatment for Pilonidal Sinus
A laser beam is used to remove debris and pus from the pilonidal sinus during this painless and scarless surgery. The sinus gets removed and the wound heals without stitches.
The entire sinus is cleaned first, then a laser beam is passed into the sinus, and the tract is destroyed using a radial laser fibre without leaving a large wound or needing a flap.
Reasons to choose laser surgery for pilonidal sinus:
- No Pain
- No Cuts & Stitches
- No Bleeding
- Fast recovery (1 day)
- Go home the same day
- No recurrence of fissure
- Low chance of infection
The patient can go home after 24 hours of the surgery and can return to a normal work routine in 2-3 days.
Laser surgery for pilonidal sinus at Medicover Hospital
At Medicover Hospitals, our expert team of Surgical Gastroenterologists, physicians, laser surgery experts, and technicians ensures the most accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment procedures for all of our patients. We provide world-class treatment, and excellent patient care, making us one the best hospitals in India. We are a leading hospital for Pilonidal Sinus Surgery in India.
The Department is fully equipped with cutting-edge medical technology and highly experienced doctors who specialise in performing Pilonidal Sinus Surgery using minimally invasive techniques for better clinical outcomes.
Consult our doctors to know more about the non-invasive surgery for pilonidal sinus. Book Appointment
