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Pilonidal disease (hair cyst) – is it possible for the disease to pass by itself?
Pilonidal disease is a chronic skin infection which typically occurs as a cyst in the crease of the buttocks near the tailbone and is characterized by periodic inflammations. Its characteristic feature is the hair growing in the cleft - hence the name, cyst (sinus) or pilonid (from the Latin words pilus - hair and nidus – nest).
Symptoms
The location of the cyst causes the bacteria to multiply inside. This is causing inflammation of the surrounding tissue, which in turn can cause pain, fever and fluid drainage from affected area with an unpleasant smell. The inflammations become more frequent and the cyst becomes more extensive.Effective treatments of a pilonid cyst
Unfortunately, there is no effective home treatment for cysts except for painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. In the event of a fever, antibiotics are needed. There has to be a surgical intervention in case of an abscess. The surgery involves then cutting the wall of a cyst, evacuating the pus, flushing and draining its light. After the inflammation subsides, pain decreases and the wound heals. However, this does not mean getting rid of the problem, because the entire anatomical structure is still under the skin.
Surgical treatment is the only effective way to treat a hair cyst. Traditional surgery involves extensive cyst excision requiring a stay at the hospital, because of an extensive postoperative wound that heals for a long time. Due to the frequent complications of wound healing, most surgeons leave it open, which extends healing time up to several months.
Laser ablation of a pilonid cyst
Currently, laser cyst ablation is one of the most effective and least invasive methods of surgical treatment. The advantage is its very high efficiency, and can also be compared to the best classical methods. There is a small, quickly healing wound and because it is an outpatient type of surgery, the patient can immediately go home. By putting the optical fiber inside the cyst and destroying its walls using laser energy, there is no need to cut it, which significantly reduces the scope of surgery.
Laser ablation of the hair cyst (pilonidal sinus laser closure - SiLaC) is a procedure that can be performed either by giving local anesthesia, or by administering anesthesia to the canal of the spinal cord or by not using anesthesia at all. The procedure itself takes about 20-30 minutes and the patient can leave the clinic right after the treatment. The minimal postoperative wound does not interfere with normal lifestyle and does not cause significant pain. The effectiveness of the method appearing in clinical trials is estimated at 92-95%, while the most common simple excision of the lesion, has an efficiency of 85%. It should also be noted that among all available methods, SiLaC leaves the best cosmetic effect.
Author: VenoMedica
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