Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic skin condition characterized by recurrent painful lumps in places where your skin rubs together, like your armpits, groin, buttocks, or breasts. It affects up to 4% of people worldwide, and it can have a serious impact on your health and your quality of life.
Hidradenitis suppurativa lumps form when hair follicles near sweat glands get blocked and infected. The infection creates inflammation, pus, and painful abscesses. When the lumps heal, they can turn into rough patches of scar tissue.
While there is no cure for hidradenitis suppurativa, you have treatment options. Balaguru Sambandam, MD, FACS, and our team at North Tarrant Health Providers specialize in surgery for hidradenitis suppurativa to relieve the discomfort and improve your life.
If you’re wondering if it’s time to consider surgery for your hidradenitis suppurativa, you’ve come to the right place.
Hidradenitis suppurativa is classified into four stages:
Dr. Sambandam diagnoses the severity of your condition by looking at the number and size of the lumps, as well as the degree of scarring you have.
Mild to moderate hidradenitis suppurativa can be managed without surgery. Dr. Sambandam may recommend medication, like:
Other treatments, like carbon dioxide laser therapy for lesions or laser hair removal, can be helpful to prevent hidradenitis suppurativa symptoms from worsening.
If you have more severe hidradenitis suppurativa or medication isn’t effective, it might be time to consider surgery. Dr. Sambandam typically considers surgery as an option for people with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa (late Stage 2 through Stage 4).
The main goal of surgery is to remove the affected skin and reduce the number of outbreaks you suffer. Depending on your needs, Dr. Sambandam may perform surgery on one specific area or over a larger area of skin.
It's important to note that surgery isn’t the best option for everyone. Dr. Sambandam may not be able to completely eliminate your hidradenitis suppurativa outbreaks and the condition may continue to come back after surgery.
Dr. Sambandam offers a few different types of hidradenitis suppurativa surgery, and the best method for you depends on the severity of your condition. Surgical options include:
This is a minor procedure where Dr. Sambandam opens and drains a painful abscess. Incision and drainage doesn’t treat hidradenitis suppurativa, but it can offer temporary pain relief. We typically perform drainage in outpatient settings, and the procedure doesn’t require general anesthesia.
This is a more invasive procedure where Dr. Sambandam cuts away damaged skin and tissue. We usually use general anesthesia for excision procedures, and you may need skin grafting to close the wound.
Skin grafting involves taking healthy skin from another part of your body and using it to cover the area where the tissue was removed.
Unroofing is one of the most effective treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa. Dr. Sambandam removes dermal tissue to uncover the inflammation and infection under the surface of your skin. This procedure requires general anesthesia, and it rarely needs to be repeated.
Recovery time after surgery depends on the type of surgery you have. Incision and drainage typically have the shortest recovery time, while procedures that require skin grafting may involve several weeks of recovery.
If you’re considering hidradenitis suppurativa surgery, it's important to have a thorough discussion with Dr. Sambandam about the potential risks, benefits, and recovery time. At your appointment, we help you set realistic expectations and discuss additional treatment options that you might need to manage your condition effectively.
Find out if you’re a candidate for hidradenitis suppurativa surgery at North Tarrant Health Providers. Call our Fort Worth, Texas, office at 817-904-4165 or request an appointment online now.
