title: Modified Limberg flap reconstruction compares favourably with primary repair for pilonidal sinus surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study analyses the results of wide excision with primary closure (PC), wide excision with classical Limberg flap reconstruction (LF) and wide excision with modified Limberg flap reconstruction (MLF) in the surgical treatment of sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixty-two well-documented patients who were operated on for pilonidal disease and followed for more than 1 year were analysed retrospectively. Group 1 was composed of patients with excision plus PC (n = 78) while group 2 included those with excision plus a LF reconstruction (n = 40), and group 3 included those with excision plus a MLF reconstruction (n = 44).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences among the three groups with respect to age, sex distribution, frequency of recurrent disease, or follow-up periods (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). Significant disadvantages regarding postoperative infection rate, mobilization time, discharge from hospital, and time off work were noted for primary closure, compared with both LF and MLF reconstructions. Following a median follow-up period of 4.2 years, 14 recurrences (17.9%) developed in the PC group, three (7.5%) in the LF group, and none (0%) in the MLF group. The zero recurrence rate in the MLF group was significantly lower than that in the PC group (P = 0.003). On the other hand, the recurrence rate in the LF was not found to differ significantly from that in the PC group (P = 0.126). Comparing the LF and MLF groups, none of the surgical end points reached a statistically significant difference (P > 0.05 for all comparisons).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the surgical treatment of sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease, excision plus a classical or modified Limberg flap reconstruction proved to be superior to excision plus primary closure in terms of infection, mobilization time, discharge from hospital and time off work. Additionally, MLF reconstruction resulted in a statistically lower recurrence rate when compared with PC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Zonguldak Karaelmas University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. acihan@karaelmas.edu.tr
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cihan
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Mentes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tatlicioglu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozmen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leventoglu
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Ucan
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010864:Pilonidal Sinus / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome