Pilonidal sinus destruction with a radial laser probe: technique and first Belgian experience

Abstract

The destruction of a pilonidal cyst with a laser probe is a safe, simple and minimally invasive technique. The success rate is good. Hospital stay is short, pain is light and complications are few as well as the number of patients needing post-operative care, allowing a rapid return to work or school. This technique could be proposed as a first-line treatment to the majority of patients with a pilonidal sinus disease.

Pilonidal Disease

“…With this results success rate reached 98% [23]. Similar results were earlier published in Belgium with reported recurrence of 2.9% and success rate of 87.5% [24]. Both studies conclude that it is safe, highly effective, almost painless and easy to learn and to perform and should be offered to all patients.…”

A new minimally invasive treatment of pilonidal sinus disease with the use of a diode laser: a prospective large series of patients

“…The diode laser delivers energy at 1470 nm, providing an optimal absorption curve in water which is considered to achieve effective protein denaturation and tissue shrinkage. Dessily et al [25] treated 40 patients with a pilonidal sinus using a radial diode laser probe in order to destroy the sinus epithelium by the delivered energy and achieve obliteration of the tract. The success rate was 87.5%, the recurrence rate 2.9% and the complication rate 10% (two cases of haematoma and two abscesses, all medically treated).…”

“…We named this relatively new therapeutic approach 'SiLaT' and refined the operative technique. We used the same laser kit as for treatment of anal fistulas [23,24,29,30] and for the treatment of pilonidal sinus in a preliminary study by Dessily et al [25]. Following the subcutaneous administration of local anaesthetic (xylocaine), an incision of 0.5-1 cm is made along the medial line of the sinus or on the preexisting orifice of the sinus.…”

Laser hair removal after surgery vs. surgery alone for the treatment of pilonidal cysts: a retrospective case–control study

“…Laser hair removal are used for years in the treatment of PNC without standardized recommendations. Few reports suggested that LHR could be the primary treatment without surgery . Despite encouraging results with some long‐term efficacy, the number of treated patients remains limited.…”

“…Few reports suggested that LHR could be the primary treatment without surgery. 2,4,5 Despite encouraging results with some long-term efficacy, the number of treated patients remains limited. The only prospective controlled study that evaluated the LHR as a first-line treatment vs. surgery concluded that recurrences were more common in the laser group.…”