The role of negative pressure wound therapy in the treatment of pilonidal disease

Abstract

Pilonidal disease is a particularly difficult disorder to treat. Guidelines and recommendations for the treatment of pilonidal disease neglect the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), but studies strongly support the role of NPWT in preventing surgical site infection in high-risk patients. During a webinar on the pilonidal disease, we asked 51 participants to complete a questionnaire about the treatment of pilonidal disease. They answered questions about treatment practices for patients with a pilonidal disease, and the use of NPWT. The study showed that a relatively large number of surgeons use NPWT to treat patients with the pilonidal disease. The majority of them are satisfied with maintaining the tightness and effectiveness of a vacuum dressing and would use the single-use NPWT systems if they were more easily available and affordable. It seems that the NPWT in the pilonidal disease is increasingly used and this method is gaining popularity among practitioners.