Outpatient laser treatment of pilonidal sinus disease: A retrospective study of short-term outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Sinus Laser-assisted Closure has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment option for pilonidal sinus disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of outpatient laser pilonidal sinus surgery and to determine whether treatment in an outpatient clinic setting influences postoperative recovery and recurrence rates.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective analysis was conducted including all consecutive patients with pilonidal sinus disease who underwent Sinus Laser-assisted Closure treatment in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia between 2021 and 2024. Selected patients were scheduled for follow-up, and all patients were instructed to contact the department in case of continuous or recurrent complaints for a clinical assessment of persistent disease or recurrence at the outpatient clinic. Persistent or residual disease within 2 months after the procedure was classified as residual disease, whereas disease detected after 2 months was classified as recurrence. Final rates of persistent disease and recurrence were assessed retrospectively from electronic medical records in December 2024. Patient-related data were collected from medical records, and statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 29.

RESULTS

Between 01 January 2021 and 31 December 2024, 80 patients were treated with outpatient Sinus Laser-assisted Closure-56 (70%) men and 24 (30%) women. The mean age was 34.9 (SD = 10.7) years. The mean follow-up period was 14.4 (SD = 8.3) months, with a minimum follow-up of 2 months. Persistent disease was reported by eight (10%) patients. Disease recurrence occurred in nine patients (11%). The mean duration of sick leave was 3.0 (SD = 4.7) days. Postoperative infections were observed in six patients (8%), four (5%) of whom required postoperative wound care. No other complications were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Outpatient Sinus Laser-assisted Closure under local anesthesia is an effective and feasible alternative to operating room-based surgery for selected patients with pilonidal sinus disease, with promising healing outcomes and a favorable recovery and complication profile.