title: Pilonidal sinus: experience with the Karydakis flap.
abstract: A personal series of 141 patients with postanal pilonidal sinus was treated by the Karydakis operation. Each sinus was totally excised with a vertical eccentric elliptical excision. A thick flap was created by undercutting the medial edge and advancing it across the midline so that the whole suture line was lateralized to reduce the risk of recurrence. Follow-up was achieved in 114 patients for 1-108 months; 79 (69 per cent) were followed for more than 18 months. Overall there were five recurrences (4 per cent) which required further surgery. Thirty-three patients (23 per cent) were referred following recurrence or failure of healing after previous surgery elsewhere; all were cured by this method. The Karydakis operation has a low recurrence rate because it produces a shallow midline furrow free from scar or suture holes which is less vulnerable to hair penetration than a midline wound.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Kitchen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010864:Pilonidal Sinus / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000009:adverse effects; D013536:Suture Techniques