title: Endoscopic pilonidal sinus treatment: a prospective multicentre trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pilonidal disease (PD) is a common inflammatory disease of the gluteal fold, resulting in recurrent acute/chronic infection at the level of the natal cleft. In this study, endoscopic pilonidal sinus treatment (EPSiT), a new endoscopic minimally invasive procedure, was evaluated for its effectiveness in treating PD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and fifty prospective patients with chronic PD were enrolled in a prospective multicentre study conducted at a secondary and tertiary colorectal surgery centre. The primary end-point of this study was wound healing, and the short-/long-term outcomes such as healing time, morbidity rate and recurrence rate were analysed. The secondary end-point of this study was quality of life (QoL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The complete wound healing rate was 94.8%, and the mean complete wound healing time was 26.7 ± 10.4 days. The incomplete healing rate (5.2%) was significantly related to the number of external openings (P = 0.01). There was no difference in the failure rate when EPSiT was performed as the first-line treatment for PD or when it was used after unsuccessful procedures (P = n.s.). Recurrence occurred in 12 cases (5%). The QoL significantly increased from preoperative levels 15 days after the EPSiT procedure (45.3 vs 7.9; P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EPSiT procedure is a safe and effective technique for treating PD. It provides better short- and long-term outcomes than various other techniques that are more invasive. EPSiT is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, which is associated with a quick recovery and a good QoL outcome.
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Unit Sanatrix Clinic, Rome and Sestri Levante Hospital, Genova, Italy.|Department of Surgery, EOC Hospital, Mendrisio, Switzerland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meinero
authors.affiliation: Pelvic Care Center, Madonna delle Grazie Hospital, Velletri, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stazi
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Unit Sanatrix Clinic, Rome and Sestri Levante Hospital, Genova, Italy.|Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, EOC Hospital, Mendrisio, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fasolini
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, EOC Hospital, Mendrisio, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Regusci
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Unit Sanatrix Clinic, Rome and Sestri Levante Hospital, Genova, Italy.|Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7051-6120
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Torre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002081:Buttocks / Q000601:surgery; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010864:Pilonidal Sinus / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Pilonidal sinus; VAAFT; endoscopic treatment; minimally invasive treatment; pilonidal cyst; pilonidal disease