Video Transcription:
One of the treatments we have special training in is the treatment of Pilonidal disease. Pilonidal disease really came to the forefront during World War II, when 79,000 soldiers were afflicted with it. It was known as the Jeep Driver Disease, and the reason was that a lot of jeep drivers were getting it. What we found was that the hair at the bottom of basically the back at the gluteal cleft was compacting into the skin. This was causing a chronic infection that would come and go every few months. It is a nest of hair that forms basically in the gluteal cleft.
The original treatment for this was a full excision down to the sacral bone. The difficulty patients had at the time was the 50 percent of these wounds would fail to heal properly. The average stay in the hospital was 55 days. Most surgeons now that don’t have specialized training in the treatment of Pilonidal disease are treating patients with an open wound technique. They allow patients to go home and for the wound to heal over anywhere from 6 to 21 weeks on average. We have come a long way since then.
Now, using a technique called rhomboid flap repair, we are able to get patients home the same day with a closed wound that has a failure rate of less than 5 percent. What we are doing is utilizing a flap of healthy native tissue from the buttocks to close the defect which takes tension off the wound and allows for a closed wound that you go home with that does not require wound dressing changes over a long period. The results have demonstrated a re-occurrence rate of less than 4 percent and a wound failure rate with wound infections is less than 7 percent.
These are the best results we can offer with all the procedures available in terms of the flap and closed wound for the treatment of Pilonidal disease. We have been able to use this in our practice to treat countless patients. The results have been promising and our patients have all been very happy.
The board certified surgeons of Los Angeles Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates can educate you about pilonidal disease and the various treatments available, including the rhoimboid flap. You can schedule a confidential consultation by calling (310)273-2310.
