title: Cleft lift procedure for sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The surgical treatment of sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease varies widely. This study reports outcomes of cleft lift procedure combined with pit excision performed both in primary and recurrent pilonidal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 76 consecutive patients with primary or recurrent pilonidal disease who received cleft lift procedure or combined (cleft lift with pit excision) procedure in our clinic between March 2005 and May 2007 were investigated prospectively. Rate of postoperative complications and disease recurrence were the primary outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean follow-up was 16.4 months (SD 7.0, range 5-34). The most common early postoperative complications were minor wound dehiscence (11 patients, 14.5 percent), followed by infection (10 patients, 13.2 percent), and wound break (4 patients, 5.3 percent). One recurrence (1.3 percent) was observed during the follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the current study supported that cleft lift procedure fulfills the requirements of an ideal operation for pilonidal disease. The cleft list procedure was a relatively simple procedure that was easy to learn, to teach, and perform under either spinal or local anesthesia. The procedure can be performed as a "day-surgery" procedure with low postoperative morbidity, acceptable time to return to work, and low recurrence rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Gazi University School of Medicine, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey. etezel@gazi.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ekmel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tezel
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bostanci
authors.forename: A Ziya
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Anadol
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kurukahvecioglu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010864:Pilonidal Sinus / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D055815:Young Adult