Efficiency of the new modified inverted Y cleft lift advancement flap in primary and recurrent sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease with low-lying tracts near the anus

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the efficiency of the new modified inverted Y cleft lift procedure, utilizing an advancement flap technique with off-midline primary wound closure for patients with lower pits of the sinus near the anus. This prospective case series was conducted from September 2018 to September 2020. Forty patients with sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease with lower pits near the anus presented either as new cases or recurrent cases. All patients were offered the new modified inverted Y cleft lift advancement flap procedure and were followed up for 48.5 months (range, 21–57 months). Patients were evaluated in terms of operation time, postoperative complications, recurrence rate, return-to-work time, and cosmetic satisfaction. The average age was 27.4 years (range, 16–52 years); 29 (72.5%) patients were male and 11 (27.5%) were female. The mean operating time was 25 min (range, 22–45 min) and the mean length of hospital stay was 0.8 days (range, 0.4–2 days). Primary healing occurred in 35 (87.5%) patients. Complete healing for complicated wounds (five patients) was achieved in an average of 21 (14–60) days. Two (5%) patients developed a superficial wound infection, four (10%) patients experienced a seroma, and five (12.5%) had partial dehiscence (some complications observed in the same patient). There was no case of deep infection, hematoma formation, or complete dehiscence. This series proved that the new modification inverted Y cleft lift flap reconstruction is an effective operative procedure for primary and recurrent pilonidal sinus cases with pits located very close to the anus, associated with low complication and recurrence rates. What does this paper add to the literature? This paper discusses a new modification to the modified cleft lift procedure named the inverted Y flap procedure, achieving off-midline primary wound closure in patients with a difficult situation with lower pits of the sinus very close to the anus, for pilonidal disease either primary or recurrent.