Sinotomy technique versus surgical excision with primary closure technique in pilonidal sinus disease

Pilonidal disease is a common chronic disorder mainly seen in the sacrococcygeal region, especially in young males. Many surgical treatment modalities have been suggested, but an ideal and widely accepted treatment has yet to be established. The aim of this study was to compare quality of life of patients treated with the sinotomy technique with quality of life of patients treated with surgical excision plus primary closure technique by means of quality of life questionnaire. The data of patients who had been treated for pilonidal sinus in our clinic from September 2010 to June 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. Forty patients were treated with sinotomy technique and 40 patients were treated with surgical excision plus primary closure technique. Time to return to work and to time to complete wound healing were evaluated. All patients were asked to fill the questionnaire after complete healing occurred. Postoperative complications were bleeding in 2.5%, infection in 3.75% and fever in 2.5% patients. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of complete healing (p=0.1) and sport times (p=0.1). There were significant differences between the groups in terms of length of hospital stay (p ≤ 0.001), time off work (p ≤ 0.001),times to sitting on toilet and walking without pain (p=0.002 and p ≤ 0.001,respectively). The mean postoperative VAS scores were 5.2 ± 3.2 and 2.8 ± 2.2, respectively (p=0.02). The technique of sinotomy with good wound and surrounding skin care seems to be an ideal approach with high chance of cure. The patients returned to their routine in a short period of time.