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Pilonidal sinus surgery
A pilonidal sinus is a small hole or tunnel, almost always between the buttock cheeks, caused by ingrowing hairs
What is a pilonidal sinus?
A pilonidal sinus is an inflamed sinus tract or channel that commonly contains hair follicles.
It occurs under the skin between the buttocks, a short distance above the anus.
Germs can build up among the hairs within the sinuses causing swelling, discharge and infection.
Need to know
Your consultant will usually perform surgery by excising the abnormal skin with the sinus. It is undertaken using general anaesthetic. The resulting hole can be left open and packed with a dressing, closed with just a suture (a row of stitches holding together the edges of the incision), or with a ‘flap’ of nearby tissue.
Your consultant will let you know how best to prepare for your procedure.
You will need to take pain relief as prescribed by your consultant, especially prior to dressing changes.
Your wound may be left open and packed with a dressing known as Aquacel or Kaltostat each day.
If your wound has had a primary closure (been stitched up during surgery), you will be advised of this and when the sutures will need removing.
If your wound has had a primary closure (been stitched up during surgery), you will be advised of this and when the sutures will need removing.
Our {{EntityName}} consultants
Miss Caris Grimes
General Surgery
Mr Shashank Gurjar
General Surgery
Mr Colin Elton
General Surgery
Mr Ashish Sinha
General Surgery
Our {{EntityName}} locations
The Princess Grace Hospital
42-52 Nottingham Place W1U 5NY London
The Shard Outpatients
The Shard, 32 St Thomas Street SE1 9BS London
London Bridge Hospital
27 Tooley Street SE1 2PR London
Patient stories
Yvette's story: From back pain to hip replacement surgery
Yvette (54) a journalist from Kent, started experiencing pain in her hip seven years ago in 2015. An ex-national gymnast who had been incredibly active and flexible her whole life, Yvette felt concerned about the growing discomfort impacting her quality of life, and so sought help from her GP.
A new hip and straight back into the spin of things
David's gym video shows him repeatedly pushing up to 100kg on a single leg press – not particularly unusual for this keen cyclist former competitive squash player and all-round fitness enthusiast. What is unusual is that 52-year-old David had hip surgery just 12 weeks earlier.
Michael's MAKO hip surgery to treat his arthritis
73 year-old Michael, an avid walker and charity worker, was diagnosed with arthritis in January 2021. After facing long waiting times and increasing pain that was becoming more frequent, he started to look elsewhere for treatment.
This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.