Pilonidal Cysts Specialist

What are pilonidal cysts? 

Pilonidal cysts (sometimes known as pilonidal disease) develop from the penetration of the skin by hair that can migrate all the way to the bone. Your body treats this hair as a foreign body and forms a cyst around it. Occasionally these cysts can get infected and/or drain.    

It is believed that pilonidal disease develops due to the particular anatomy of the crease between the buttocks, also known as the gluteal cleft. Due to this anatomy, the act of walking, sitting, or shuffling can drill loose hairs through the skin.

Dr. Sambandam specializes in a procedure called the gluteal cleft lift which changes the anatomy of the gluteal cleft to reduce the chance of recurrence. The old method of simple excision and closure was frequently complicated by wound healing problems and recurrence.

Pilonidal cysts are most likely to affect males from puberty up to about 40, but anyone could suffer from this condition.

What symptoms do pilonidal cysts cause?

Pilonidal cysts form large, painful red lumps containing fluid. When the cysts become infected, they develop into abscesses full of foul-smelling pus.

An infected pilonidal cyst may drain of its own accord, or you might require treatment to remove the pus. After draining, pilonidal cysts sometimes leave passageways under your skin called sinus tracts that are prone to recurring infection and continued drainage.

Dr. Sambandam can diagnose your condition by performing a physical examination of your buttocks.

How are pilonidal cysts treated?

For patients with infected pilonidal cysts, treatment is like any other skin abscess. Dr. Sambandam injects a local anesthetic into your buttocks, then makes a small incision into the cyst through which all the pus can escape. The wound is left open to heal by the body’s natural ability. You need a dressing to keep the site clean while it begins to heal.

For patients with pilonidal disease without infection, the preferred treatment is the gluteal cleft lift. This procedure involves the removal of a section of skin and then mobilization of skin and soft tissue followed by closure with suture in a manner that elevates the gluteal cleft. This procedure treats the underlying problem of pilonidal disease, namely the anatomy of the gluteal cleft. You will still have a gluteal cleft, but it will not be as deep as it was before.  

If you have a painful or infected pilonidal cyst, visit North Tarrant Health Providers for prompt, effective treatment. Call their office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sambandam or book an appointment online today.