My son got his first pilonidal cyst at age 18. He thought it was just a cystic pimple and didn’t show it to me until it busted (6 months later) he was in emergency surgery the next Tuesday. It was very infected and grew channels that had to be dug out.
His incision was apx. 5″x3″ and deep. The area was left open and packed in hopes that it would heal. After 1 1/2 years the incision never completely closed so we went back to the surgeon who informed us that more cysts were back! He just had his 2nd surgery 7-7-15 and the area was cut wider and deeper. This time we had a 2nd surgery with a plastic surgeon who closed up the wound 7-20-15 in hopes that it will heal faster. His butt looks like Frankenstein BUT all stitches will dissolve and there is no more packing with gauze.
As a mother I am searching everywhere to educate myself on how to stop this from ever coming back. Our plan is to begin laser hair removal so the hair follicle is totally removed. Has anyone tried this and been successful? Its costly and takes a full year to get all the hair growth cycles. If his healing goes well he will leave for the North East to go college. One thing we found out was that the boxer briefs he wore 24/7 were the athletic kind that were like Spanx and didn’t breath!!Loose cotton is his new friend and the other in grown hairs on his thighs are going away.
My goal is to educate his HS football coach and the school nurse. If he had known what a pilonidal cyst was he would have come to me earlier and these surgeries probably could have been avoided.