Pilonidal Sinus Treatment
Pilonidal Sinus is well known for its recurrence after surgery so it becomes necessary to find out the best Pilonidal sinus treatment which assure complete treatment without complication.
The word Pilonidal is derived from the Latin words Pilus – the hair and nidus – the nest. Sinus stands for an abnormal tract or channel that has a single opening. So a sinus tract having a nest of hairs is termed a Pilonidal Sinus (PNS).
Usually, this disease presents as a nodular swelling in the lower spinal region or the cleft just above the buttocks. One can see hairs protruding out from this swelling. The patient may complain of off-and-on discharge with intermittent pain in the lower spinal region. Pain is a later manifestation while patient have had spotting of discharge in undergarments much earlier.
Males are more prone to Pilonidal Sinus than females; among these young adults i.e. collegegoers especially those with sedentary lifestyles and hairy skin are the usual sufferers.
Why Ksharsutra treatment is the best Pilonidal Sinus treatment?
Doctors advise different treatments for Pilonidal Sinus with varying rate of success. So for a patient suffering from Pilonidal Sinus; it becomes very difficult to decide which treat to adopt. Here we are listing few advantages with Ksharsutra treatment for Pilonidal sinus so that you can make an informed decision:
- Predictably ZERO recurrence
- Done under local Anesthesia
- No hospitalization or Bed rest required
- Minimal pain and other complications
- No frequent hospital visit
- Daily routine not affected
- Cost-effective
Keeping all the above observations in mind; one can conclude that Ksharsutra treatment for Pilonidal sinus is the best treatment available till date. So a patient suffering from Pilonidal Sinus should opt for Ksharsutra Treatment for complete recovery..
What is Ayurvedic/ best Treatment for Pilonidal Sinus?
In word Ksharsutra- Kshar stands for a specialized ayurvedic medicines which is prepared from the ashes of Apamarga/ Yava/ Til Naal etc. which are alkaline in nature and sutra stands for a thread. So Ksharsutra is a medicated thread. Here thread in itself has no role in treatment it only works as the vehicle for the application of medicine at a desired site.
To prepare a ksharsutra; a linen thread is coated with latex of snuhi (Euphorbia neriifolia Linn), Apamrga Kshar (Kshar prepared from Apamarga – Achyranthes aspera), and Haridra (Curcuma longa). In total there are 21 coating of these medicines done one by one on the thread. Afterward, ultraviolet radiations are used to sterilize the prepared Ksharsutra.
Before starting Ksharsutra treatment all routine checkups are done. Then comes proper defining the sinus tract with special reference to its length, depth, and branching pattern. In majority of cases; probing with a soft malleable metallic probe is sufficient to get all these details. If there remains any doubt regarding these findings; a Ksharsutra expert may advise an MRI Sinogram.
Once the Ksharsutra expert has defined the sinus tract by probing; he inserts Ksharsutra in the sinus tract in the sinus opening which comes out through an artificially made opening at the distalmost end of the sinus tract. Then he ties both ends with a knot. Medicines present on Ksharsutra debride the sinus tract and induce healing. This medicine works for 5-7 days; so the ksharsutra expert replaces the old ksharsutra with a new one after a week/10-day time interval. Number of Ksharsutra changes required for complete healing of sinus depends on length, depth and branching pattern of sinus tract.
It is a routine practice to measure the length of the ksharsutra at every ksharsutra change sitting to assess the progress of treatment. The sinus tract heals @ 0.5 to 1 cm per ksharsutra change sitting. So a Sinus tract of 3 cm length may require 4-6 Ksharsutra change sittings at a week or 10-day time interval.
Causes of Pilonidal Sinus
The exact cause of the Pilonidal sinus is still unknown. However, observations have revealed that the following factors may be responsible for the Pilonidal sinus:
- Changing Hormones
- Sitting lifestyle
- Hairy skin
- Friction from cloths
Due to any of above said causative factors; sharp ends of the hairs growing in this area penetrate the delicate skin (Continuous moisture because of sweating makes skin delicate) in this region. The body initiates a foreign body immune response against it. Besides this hair penetration gives an opportunity to the infection to invade the body. All this results in formation of pus leading to cyst formation and finally Pilonidal sinus.
Symptoms of Pilonidal Sinus
- Nodular swelling/ opening in the lower spinal region: a patient suffering from Pilonidal sinus complains of intermittent swelling or some opening in the lower spinal region in the cleavage just above the buttocks. There might be multiple swellings/ openings. Swelling subsides once there is pus discharge to reappear again when pus accumulates.
- Hair protruding out from the swelling/ opening: One may see few hairs or a tuft of hairs poking out from the swelling/ opening.
- Off and on discharge: once the swelling bursts; the patient complains of pus discharge mixed with blood. Usually, this discharge is observed on the undergarments which most of the time is by chance otherwise it might go unnoticed for a long time.
- Intermittent pain: The patient complains of intermittent pain in the lower spinal region which might be mistaken as low back ache and he visits an orthopedic doctor to consult. This is for this reason that most of the time it is an orthopedic doctor who diagnoses Pilonidal sinus.
- Fever: Patient may complain of fever specially when there is swelling with accumulation of pus.
Best Treatments for Pilonidal Sinus:
Before discussing the best treatment for Pilonidal Sinus; we wish to make one thing clear that oral medicines are not sufficient to treat Pilonidal sinus – Homeopathic/ Allopathic/ Ayurvedic whatever it may be. Understanding this fact; doctors have tried different treatments with different success rates. Some of these treatments are:
- Lancing
- Phenol injection
- Laser Therapy
- Surgery
- Flap procedures, Limberg flap, Z-plasty, and Rotational flap,
All of these treatment procedures bear a high rate of recurrence. About 25% or more cases complain of recurrence of Pilonidal Sinus. That means one or more patients among every 4 patients face a recurrence of Pilonidal sinus after any of these treatments.
- Ksharsutra Treatment for Pilonidal Sinus: This is an Ayurvedic treatment for Pilonidal sinus as advised by Acharya Sushruta. In this treatment; a Ksharsutra expert places a medicated thread namely Ksharsutra in the Sinus tract which is replaced by a new one at a week or 10-day interval till the sinus heals completely. This is an OPD procedure and usually, there is no need for hospitalization or bed rest. The patient can continue his normal routine activities as usual during treatment.
Complications like recurrence of Pilonidal sinus are usually not reported in Ksharsutra treatment for Pilonidal Sinus.
Home remedies for Pilonidal Sinus:
It is a fact that none of the home remedies can treat Pilonidal sinus completely. Even then there is something that a patient can do at home to ease pain and discomfort:
- Maintain local hygiene: you should clean the affected area regularly with some anti-septic solution. If required you can plan for shaving the area or hair removal.
- Cotton underwear and clothing: you should prefer cotton undergarments and clothing over others.
- Hot compresses: Apply hot wet compresses 2-4 times a day. Warmth will help pull out the pus thus allowing the sinus/ cyst to drain. This will relieve pain and swelling.
- Sitz bath: Hot water tub bath is equally effective in relieving pain and swelling. You should sit in warm water in such a way that the sinus/ cyst is immersed in water.
- Regular exercise: obesity is a causative factor in Pilonidal sinus so regular exercise will not only help in prevention but also in easing the pain and swelling of pilonidal sinus.
FAQs about Pilonidal Sinus
The literal meaning of the Pilonidal sinus is “a cavity with one opening which contains a nest of hairs in it”. It presents itself as a nodular swelling in lower spinal region with intermittent discharge. Hair ends might be seen protruding out from this swelling.
Complications like recurrence of Pilonidal sinus after surgery are not seen in Ksharsutra treatment for Pilonidal sinus. As Ksharsutra Treatment is an OPD Treatment; no hospitalization or bed rest is required in this treatment. Patient can continue his normal routine activities as usual during treatment.
Ksharsutra Treatment is a specialized Ayurvedic treatment advised for Pilonidal Sinus. In this treatment; a specialized medicated thread namely ksharsutra is placed in the sinus tract. Old Ksharsutra is replaced by a new one at a week or 10-day interval until the sinus tract heals completely.
No; it is not a very painful treatment. Mild irritation or burning sensation is felt by some patients when Ksharsutra is changed. This irritation/ burning sensation can be managed by hot fomentation/ Sitz bath/ application of anesthetic gel or oral painkiller medicines.
Yes; you can continue your office work as usual during Ksharsutra treatment. If you are having some irritation or burning sensation you can have sitz bath/ apply some anesthetic gel or take pain killer medicine.
