Minimally invasive surgery safe for pilonidal sinus

(HealthDay)—Video-assisted ablation of pilonidal sinus (VAAPS) seems safe and efficacious, with higher patient satisfaction and less time off work compared with conventional surgery, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in JAMA Surgery.

Marco Milone, M.D., from the University of Naples Federico II in Italy, and colleagues examined the safety and efficacy of VAAPS among 145 patients with chronic nonrecurrent pilonidal sinus. Participants were randomized to minimally invasive or conventional treatment (76 and 69 patients, respectively).

The researchers found that the mean time off work was significantly less for the minimally invasive treatment group versus the conventional treatment group (1.6 versus 8.2 days; P < 0.001). The minimally invasive group had significantly longer mean operative time compared with the conventional treatment group (42.9 versus 26.5 minutes; P < 0.001). The overall complication rate was similar between the groups, but there were fewer infections in the minimally invasive group (1.3 versus 7.2 percent; P = 0.10). Patients expressed significantly less pain and higher satisfaction in the minimally invasive group.

"Although additional studies are needed to provide a definitive conclusion, our results encourage considering the adoption of this treatment as the most effective way to treat pilonidal sinus," the authors write.

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