The surgeon inserts a lighted scope attached to a video camera (laparoscope) into one incision near the belly button. The surgeon then uses a video monitor as a guide while inserting surgical instruments into the other incisions to remove your gallbladder.The exact cause of hemorrhoids is unclear, but they’re associated with increased pressure in the blood vessels in and around your anus. This pressure can cause the blood vessels in the rectum and anus to become swollen and inflamed.
A PNS is a condition that mostly affects men and is also common in young adults. It’s also more common in people who sit a lot, like cab drivers.
Identifying a pilonidal sinus and recognizing signs of infection
You may not have any noticeable symptoms at first other than a small, dimple-like depression on the surface of your skin. However, once the depression becomes infected, it will quickly develop into a cyst (a closed sac filled with fluid) or an abscess (a swollen and inflamed tissue where pus collects).
Diagnosis is typically confirmed by a physician examining the buttock area.
Treatment depends on the disease pattern. The primary treatment for an acute abscess is drainage. An incision is made that allows pus to drain, reducing inflammation and pain. This procedure can usually be done in a physician’s office under local anesthesia.
Complex or recurring infections must be treated surgically, either through excision or unroofing the sinuses. Unroofing the sinuses, as shown in Figure 2, involves opening up the abscess and tracts and trimming the edges of skin. Larger, open operations often result in better outcomes, although healing takes longer. Closure with flaps has a greater risk of infection, but may be required in some patients. Your colon and rectal surgeon will discuss all the options and help you choose the most appropriate surgery.
When the wound is closed, it must be kept clean and dry until the skin is fully healed. If the wound is left open, dressings or packing are used to help remove secretions and allow the area to heal from the bottom up. After healing, the skin in the buttocks crease must be kept clean and free of hair. It is necessary to shave or use a hair removal agent every 2 or 3 weeks until the age of 30. After that age, hair shafts thin out and soften and the depth of the buttock cleft lessens. Pilonidal disease can be a chronic, recurring condition so it is important to follow your physician’s postsurgical care instructions.
