What are the symptoms of ingrown hair (pilonidal sinus) disease?

Usually, cysts due to ingrown hair do not show any symptoms. Sometimes a fine staining can be seen on the laundry due to the discharge. If infection or abscess develops, the discharge increases and severe pain may be experienced. In this case, the infection should be treated with early intervention. The biggest problem in this disease is that the area where ingrown hair occurs is in a place that remains moist and sweaty. It is difficult to clean this area due to its proximity to the anus. Factors that facilitate ingrown hair (pilonidal sinus) include;

• Being overweight
• Excess sweating
• Sitting constantly
• Being male
• Excessive body hair, especially the back
• Not paying attention to self-cleaning, not taking shower daily
• Shaving the area with a razor blade

How ingrown hair (pilonidal sinus) disease is treated?

If abscess has developed in the area, the treatment includes draining of the and antibiotic treatment. Definitive treatment can be performed after making sure that the infection is completely cleared. The treatment of ingrown hair can be performed with or without surgery. The main purpose of the non-surgical method is to clean the hair in these cysts, to burn and fill the cavities with special solutions. In eligible patients, sinuses are removed from the small incisions, followed by closing the area with stitches. Compared to the conventional surgical method, this approach is simpler, easier to apply and more comfortable for the patient after treatment. However, the risk of recurrence of the disease is higher in these treatment modalities and they are preferred only in theearly stages of the disease.

How ingrown hair (pilonidal sinus) surgery is performed?

Surgical treatment is required in patients who have had abscesses evacuated several times before or who the disease have recurred despite of previous interventions. The aim of the surgery is to remove all of the sinuses and to shift the coccyx pit where the disease occurs to prevent recurrence of the disease. In eligible patients, the wound can be closed with stitches or with flap, a tissue that is slid from the side hip once the problematic part is removed. In advanced cases, the wound can heal without stitches after the diseased tissue is removed.

How the postoperative care of ingrown hair (pilonidal sinus) is performed?

The coccyx region is a difficult place for wound care due to its location sincethe area is constantly stretched due to sitting and standing as well as prone to sweating. In addition, due to its proximity to the anus, it is prone to contamination during defecation. While the care of non-surgical methods employed for the treatment of ingrown hair is much easier, it may be very difficult when the treatment option is a surgical method. The area operated should be kept dry and clean, and the patient should spend the first few weeks lying down rather than sitting. For this reason, it may take up to 4 weeks for patients to return to work after surgery and 6-8 weeks for them to return to their normal daily life without any problems.

Does ingrown hairs (pilonidal sinus) recur after surgery?

The short-term recurrence of the disease depends on postoperative wound care.The possibility of recurrence is very low in patients who have completed postoperative wound healing without any problems. I recommend my patients to remove hair and hair follicles with laser epilation atthe coccyx area, take showers daily, and change clothes frequently to keep this area dry.

What is ingrown hair (Pilonidal Sinus)? yazısı ilk önce Assoc. Professor Soykan Barlas üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

How will I know if there is a problem?

When stones, mud or any other problem occur in the gallbladder, it becomes unable to fully perform its task. After meals, pain, indigestion, swelling and nausea can be seen in the upper right part of the abdomen. Since these complaints can also be seen in the presence of gastritis and ulcers in the stomach, the first thing to do is to consult a physician to understand whether the problem is due to the stomach or the gall bladder.

How are gallstones formed? Do I need surgery immediately?

Gallstones are usually made up of elements called cholesterol, calcium, and bilirubin. They can be found in the sac or directly in the bile ducts. Both family predisposition and what we eat play a role in its formation. It is more common in women than in men. Obesity, estrogen therapy, rapid weight loss, diabetes and some blood diseases increase the risk of gallstones.

In the presence of complaints such as abdominal pain, bloating, and pain, mud or gallstones can be detected in the gallbladder by ultrasonography to be performed on the abdomen. The gallstones or mud that do not cause you discomfort do not need to be operated immediately. However, if the gallbladder is inflamed and causes you to go to the hospital with severe pain and fever (acute cholecystitis), it is beneficial to remove it without causing any bigger problems. If the patient has a history of diabetes or the use of immunosuppressive drugs, early surgery may be necessary, as acute cholecystitis attacks may be more severe. In addition, there are patients who need surgery on the incidentally detected gallstones without any complaints. If;

• The patient is in the child age group,
• The patient has sickle cell anemia,
• The gallstone is larger than 5 cm in the examination,
• There is calcification on the wall of the bladder, the gallbladder must be removed immediately.

If gallbladder polyps are larger than 1 cm, they are removed due to the risk of transformation into cancer. Polyps smaller than one cm are monitored intermittently, but do not require surgery.

How does gallbladder inflammation occur?

The bile accumulated in the sac is emptied into the digestive system with the help of a thin channel after meals. If the mouth of this channel is clogged with stones or mud, the bile in the sac cannot flow and bacteria form in the sac just like algae in stagnant water. When inflammation occurs, if the patient is admitted to the hospital in the early period, it is urgently operated. In patients who go to the hospital after the first 48 hours, the treatment, generally referred to as cooling therapy, where oral nutrition is stopped, and antibiotics and other drugs are administered intravenously. In diabetic patients, it is not preferred to wait, as gall bladder gangrene may occur unnoticed.

How is the surgery done?

Surgery is now routinely performed as closed surgery (laparoscopic). The operation is performed by entering the abdomen with 3 incisions of 5 mm and 1 incision of 1 cm. After the operation, the patient is hospitalized for 1 night and discharged the next day.

How should my diet be after surgery?

In the early period after surgery, it is necessary to avoid fatty and spicy foods until the body gets used to life without gallstones. Although this period varies from person to person, it is usually between 2 weeks and 6 months. During this period, foods rich in protein should be preferred.

Gall Bladder yazısı ilk önce Assoc. Professor Soykan Barlas üzerinde ortaya çıktı.

• Hemorrhoids (piles)
• Anal fissure (crack, tear in the anus)
• Anal fistula
• Ingrown hairs.

How are Disorders in the Anorectal (Rectal) Region Examined?

The examination of the anus region is usually done after the patient is placed on his / her side.The first method of examination is to visualize directly. In the meantime, it is checked whether there are conditions such as external hemorrhoids around the anus and fissure in the anus. The ingrown hair disease can be diagnosed visually. The second method of examination is to examine the inside of the anus with palpation (digital rectal examination) after wearing sterile gloves.

Although it seems to be a disturbing examination method for the patient, it provides the physician with valuable information. It is necessary for the diagnosis of diseases such as internal hemorrhoids, polyps and even tumors that can be encountered in approximately 7-8 cm from the anus, without the need for any special device.

Another examination method is the examination technique called anoscope or rectoscope, which can be performed in the outpatient clinic. It allows the physician to check the 10 cm part inside the anus visually.The most important issue regarding the diseases that manifest with rectal bleeding is that the disorder may mask a more important disease such as colorectal cancer.Therefore, in the presence of risk factors, this issue should not be ignored, colonoscopy or gastroscopy should be performed when necessary and the large intestine and stomach should be scanned in detail.

How Are Anorectal Region Disorders Treated?

The treatment modality differs from disease to disease and even from patient to patient. In some cases with painful external hemorrhoids or anal fissure, even nutritional recommendations without any treatment may be sufficient.Oral medication or topical applications may be sufficient for slightly more advanced diseases.  Surgery is the treatment of choice when ingrown hair, anal fistula, and advanced hemorrhoids or anus fissure are detected.

Does The Same Disease Recur After Surgery?

The disease can be treated with surgery, but the cause of the disease must be eliminated so that the disease does not recur. The breech region is inherently a dirty area. It is also prone to sweating and staying moist. For this reason, one should be careful about cleaning of this area as much as possible in the post-operative period.In addition, factors that may cause recurrence of the disease such as constipation and diarrhea should be eliminated. Increasing the consumption of vegetables and fibrous foods, reducing protein consumption and drinking plenty of water are among the factors that reduce the risk of recurrence after surgery.

Anorectal Region (Anal Canal Region) and Diseases yazısı ilk önce Assoc. Professor Soykan Barlas üzerinde ortaya çıktı.