Looking for any Pilonidal Cyst treatment experience in NC (centers, medical)

[NCforever]

First time here..so apologize for any rookie mistakes in advance.

My teen was diagnosed with a pilonidal cyst in May. After a round of antibiotics fixed the cyst, it seems to be making a coming back (slight internal pain/discomfort) 2 months later. I was wondering if anyone had experience dealing with this. Specifically looking for information regarding :

a. Alternates to surgery that have been successful (non-recurrence).
b. Local doctor recommendations. Preferably Duke but others will do too.
c. Local laser hair removal centers that cater to this kind of procedures. Preferably medically recommended.


We would like to avoid going for surgery not only for the obvious reasons but also since it does not guarantee a permanent cure.

[Bamaman1]

I would strongly suggest just getting the surgery done. It's nothing to fool around with.

Our granddaughter had what she though was a pilonidal cyst, and she didn't get it taken care of.

It ended up being Stage IV bone cancer and she didn't make it past 23 years old.

[NewUser]

I had a pilonidal cyst when I was in my early 20s (30+ years ago).

One doctor tried to drain it (he mis-diagnosed as sebaceous), and it just came back. In fact, the cyst then took advantage of that scar tissue to create a drainage path to the skin surface. That helped it from becoming bigger, but meant that I always had to stuff my shorts with gauze

I finally had it surgically removed and it has never come back. I was mortified at the thought of having someone do hair removal "down there", so I never had it done, and it never caused a problem. I should note that I have been an avid cyclist all my life, and it has not caused a reoccurrence.

The surgery itself is not bad, but the aftermath is gross, uncomfortable, and embarrassing. I'd recommend getting it done though.

I should also note that my brother had one, he had the surgery, and to my knowledge he has never had another one.

[carbon8]

I would recommend a consultation with any colon and rectal surgeon or general surgeon to discuss your options. Surgical excision is the definitive treatment and the current standard of care, but laser hair removal has been shown to have some effectiveness, although often multiple treatments are needed and not always guaranteed to work. I would assume that the MD that you see will be able to better explain and provide these options for you. Best of luck!

[Tabster]

Originally Posted by Bamaman1

I would strongly suggest just getting the surgery done. It's nothing to fool around with.

Our granddaughter had what she though was a pilonidal cyst, and she didn't get it taken care of.

It ended up being Stage IV bone cancer and she didn't make it past 23 years old.

How terrible!
I'm so sorry that happened to you granddaughter. :-(

[NCforever]

Bamaman1, Very sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing.. puts everything into perspective.


Newuser,carbon8, Thank you for relating your experience. We have taken an appointment with a Surgeon for next week. Mentally prepared to go forward with surgery if the doctor recommends.