I am a 21 year old very healthy (collegiate athlete) who has been struggling with a polonidal cyst for some time now. I would say i first felt the pain a couple years ago accompanied with a little drainage. I Just dismissed it and thought it was something that would go away, low and behold it didn’t, in fact it got much worse.
So last summer i went to see a general surgeon who diagnosed it as a pilonidal cyst, well actually there were multiple cysts. I elected to have the out-patient procedure of excising, debridement and closure. I was out running the very next day and thought all was well. Once i got back to school it started to drain again and the pain returned as well. So i went back to see my general surgeon over Turkey Break and he said that a sinus tract had actually formed from the closure–just my luck. So he referred me to a specialist (colon-rectal surgeon) whom i saw right before x-mas. The guy seemed really positive about what he could do and recommended rhomboid flap closure to once and for all solve this problem.
Not only did he tell me that this would be a for sure fix, but he also said i would be back up and functioning in about 2 weeks.Also, he had said it would be out-patient and then after the surgery told me that i would be staying the night (to the displeasure of my parents for not being made aware of this). Well it didn’t improve in 2 weeks, but every time i talked to him and told him how much it was draining and when i went to see him he just said that it looks great or is normal. Hmm. Well i had to go back to school and it was still not doing any better so i some how got in contact with a specialist where i live (louisville) who over saw my care from then on. She tried to treat the wound and get it to heal but the flap eventually failed and she had to open it back up completely (about 6 weeks ago) and then put my on a portable wound vac.
Let me just add that this surgeon i’m seeing now is incredible, and i would highly recommend her to anyone, her name is Dr. Galandiuk. Now we’re up to the present. I have had the wound vac on for approx 6 weeks and it has improved greatly. The depth has decreased from over 5cm to 1.7 at present and we’re thinking about another month on the vac.
A few thoughts… Do research before you have ANYONE cut on you, be sure you can trust them because once it’s done there is no fixing it. Be very careful about any flap closure procedures. I’d almost automatically recommend a second opinion. This has been a horrible time in my life because of the botched surgery by the first specialist, i have to carry a wound vac around to class and deal with the awkaward questions and looks, i have not been able to play in my spring season (when he said i would be long healed before it even started), and just being a young person with all this going on has caused some depression.
I would not wish what i’ve gone through on my worst enemy, and it’s not over yet.