1. Cutting-out the diseased tissue and then leaving it open to heal.
2. Attempting to stitch it back together again once the tissue has been removed.
The disadvantages of these treatments are that when they are stitched back together the problem can come back again and, when it is left open, there is a higher risk of infection and it needs to have daily dressings which can have an impact on your daily life – it also has a longer recovery time, usually between 6 to 12 weeks.
What is laser treatment?
It is a promising new treatment, often referred to as PiLAC or Pilonidal Laser Ablation. It uses laser energy along a flexible fibre to destroy the infected tissue and it encourages healing with a decreased need for incisions and an increased time of recovery. The procedure can be done when you are awake (local anaesthetic) or when you are asleep (general anaesthetic).
What is so good about laser treatment?
Our surgeons have been using this pioneering technique with fantastic results with very high success rates (70 – 80%) with healed patients only having a 10% change of the problem returning.
What could be the problems of laser treatment?
It often needs a procedure before you have the laser treatment to remove the infected hairs then the infection is drained using a ‘seton’ which is similar to a plastic thread – again, this can be done under local anaesthetic or general anaesthetic.