Risk of re-operation after incision and drainage for acute, abscess-forming pilonidal sinus disease: A Danish population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Acute abscess-forming pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is treated surgically, with lateral incision and drainage (I&D) considered the gold standard; however, the risk of re-operation is unknown.

AIM: To evaluate re-operation rates following abscess-forming PSD treatment with lateral I&D, and to identify factors influencing re-operation rates.

METHODS

Using data from nationwide Danish databases covering 2010-2021, we identified patients diagnosed with abscess-forming PSD undergoing lateral I&D as the initial treatment for PSD. Patients were followed up until re-operation, death, emigration, or the end of the study period. Stratified by sex, the risk of re-operation was reported as a cumulative incidence function (CIF). To explore risks, we used Cox regression analysis to calculate crude and age-adjusted hazard ratios (aHR).

RESULTS

Of 8251 (62% male) patients included, 2455 underwent re-operation for PSD. The overall five-year CIF was 32% for males and 33% for females. In males, the five-year CIF decreased from 47% among 0- to 16-year-olds to 14% among 50+ year-olds. In females, the corresponding numbers were 37% and 13%, respectively. A family history of PSD was found to increase re-operation risk, especially among female patients (aHR: 1.64 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.39-1.93)). The risk increases following the second and third consecutive I&D procedures to 52% and 69% in males, and to 57% and 64% in females, respectively.

CONCLUSION

As roughly two-thirds of patients do not require additional surgery, our findings do not support mandatory follow-up with definitive surgery for all PSD patients undergoing I&D. For certain high-risk subgroups, however, subsequent definitive surgery may be appropriate.