title: Utility of the cleft lift procedure in refractory pilonidal disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Refractory pilonidal disease is a problem. We wished to show the utility of the cleft lift procedure in solving nonhealing.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected a subset of challenging cases for this study. The subset included all patients referred with persistent open wounds despite at least 2 prior pilonidal surgeries elsewhere.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 69 patients had undergone 223 surgeries (average, 3) and endured open wounds for a sum of 365 years (average, 5). All patients we contacted were healed after a single cleft lift surgery with 3 exceptions. Two patients required 2 lifts before healing and 1 patient required 3 lifts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cleft lift procedure gave excellent results in patients with refractory pilonidal disease.
authors: Sacred Heart Medical Center, 1255 Hilyard, Eugene, OR 97401, USA. JbascomR@pacinfo.com
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Bascom
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Bascom
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010864:Pilonidal Sinus / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000379:methods