Q: My 14 years old son is having pilonidal sinus. What is the treatment for the same?

A:The current standard treatment for pilonidal sinus is surgery. At surgery the surgeon will remove the sinus plus some surrounding skin. There are a few variations of this operation, but the basic theme is the same. Most surgeons will not close the operative wound, preferring it to heal slowly. Some will stitch up the wound: this method is also correct, since it allows quicker healing (but may have more chances of infection). Chances of recurrence are about 5%. After surgery, the patient should do something about the hair near the site: this causes the pilonidal sinus and may increase the chances of recurrence.