Pilonidal sinus - Pit Picking
Treatment of pilonidal sinus
What is a pilonidal sinus?
A pilonidal sinus (medical term: sinus pilonidalis) is an inflammatory skin condition in the cleft between the buttocks, caused by ingrown hairs.
These hairs penetrate the skin and can lead to inflammation or abscess formation.
These hairs penetrate the skin and can lead to inflammation or abscess formation.
Typical symptoms include swelling, redness, pain, and occasionally discharge of pus.
Causes
The main cause is usually ingrown hair, which leads to chronic inflammation of the skin.
Contributing factors include:
Contributing factors include:
- Excessive body hair
- Friction and sweating in the gluteal area
- Prolonged sitting
- Genetic predisposition or previous skin irritation
Without treatment, a pilonidal sinus can cause recurrent inflammation and become a persistent and painful condition.
Treatment
In our practice, pilonidal sinus is treated exclusively using the pit picking technique.
This minimally invasive method is tissue-sparing, performed on an outpatient basis, and does not require hospitalisation.
This minimally invasive method is tissue-sparing, performed on an outpatient basis, and does not require hospitalisation.
During the procedure, the small sinus openings (pits) are removed through tiny incisions under local anaesthesia.
Inflamed tissue is gently cleared without creating large wounds.
Inflamed tissue is gently cleared without creating large wounds.
As a result, healing time is short, pain is minimal, and daily activities are hardly restricted.
Most patients are able to walk and sit normally on the same day.
Most patients are able to walk and sit normally on the same day.
Our goal
Our goal is to offer you an effective, safe and low-pain treatment –
without unnecessary surgery or hospital stays.
without unnecessary surgery or hospital stays.
Our experience shows that the pit picking technique is successful in most cases after the first procedure.
In some cases, the treatment may need to be repeated, usually up to three times, depending on the individual situation.
In some cases, the treatment may need to be repeated, usually up to three times, depending on the individual situation.
Already during the initial consultation, we can usually assess whether this method is suitable to treat your pilonidal sinus permanently.
The advantage: short healing times, minimal discomfort and no prolonged downtime.