A Pilonidal cyst is a small pocket-like swollen skin that appears around the hair follicle near the tailbone or the crease of the buttocks. The region may seem to look like a tiny pore or pit developed in the skin containing hair and a dark spot. If the cyst becomes infectious, this will turn into a pilonidal abscess.
An infected abscess or cyst needs pilonidal cyst removal surgery to drain out the pus inside the skin abscess. This skin condition isn’t going to heal with the help of antibiotic medicines. The occurrence of continuous pilonidal infections needs a surgical process.
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Prevention of Pilonidal Cyst Infection
If you want to prevent developing a Pilonidal cyst infection, follow these tips:
- Wash regularly
- Achieve a healthy body weight
- Avoid sitting for a long time
- Keep the area clean or shave
When to visit the Doctor for surgery?
Is it painful for you to sit longer? Do you feel skin irritation and have swollen pores in the buttock crease? If so, you are likely to have symptoms of a Pilonidal cyst.
Sometimes, a person can even develop several sinuses that don’t show up from outside. However, these multiple pilonidal sinuses might all be attached under the skin. In this case, contact the medical provider to avoid further complications.
Pilonidal cyst Removal Surgery
There are various types of Pilonidal cyst removal surgery.Pilonidal cyst infections have no known etiology, although they are closely related to ingrown hairs since these cysts typically develop when hair gets lodged under the skin as a result of pressure and friction. The development of a pilonidal cyst occurs as a result of the body recognizing the hair as a foreign substance and creating a cyst around it to defend itself.
Incision and pus drainage
Perhaps the most simple yet common surgical treatment for pilonidal cysts. The healthcare provider performs this simple procedure in his office. To do that, the healthcare provider uses local anaesthesia to numb the infected skin. Then he cuts the cyst to drain out the pus and the fluid. After that, the hole gets filled up with gauze and kept open.
The healing process can take around 4 weeks to completely cure the cyst. However, repeated change in the gauze is important.
Pilonidal cysts can affect anyone, although young males going through puberty are more likely to contract it. Pilonidal sickness was known as the “Jeep Driver’s Infection” during World War II because it frequently affects persons who spend a lot of time sitting down. Consequently, occupations that demand extended sitting, such as truck drivers, cyclists, desk professions, etc.
Pilonidal cystectomy
In case the problem arises repeatedly, you may need to undergo Pilonidal cyst removal surgery. As this is an outpatient procedure, there is no need to spend a night in the hospital bed. The pilonidal cyst surgery recovery time varies from one patient to another. Most people can do most activities after a few days or a couple of weeks.
Before the procedure, you are likely to get general anaesthesia to continue pain-free surgery or local anaesthesia to numb from your waist down. During surgery, the surgeon cuts to remove the affected pores and the underlying tissues containing hair follicles and dirt.
Usually, the decision to pack up with gauze depends on the amount of tissue removal. Sometimes even the medical professional places a tube for fluid drainage post surgery. The tube is later removed when the fluid pauses its drainage.
