The effects of skin closure by using mattress sutures or intracutaneous absorbable sutures after the Karydakis flap surgery because of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus. A comparative analysis

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: After the pilonidal sinus surgery, the complications such as skin maceration, local wound dehiscence, wound site infection and recurrence may complicate the surgery. We aimed to compare the patients, who had undergone Karydakis flap surgery and the skin closure of whom was made by using intracutaneous or mattress sutures, with respect to wound site complications and recurrence. METHODS: The files of 230 Karydakis flap surgery patients were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were invited for re-examination and the lacking data were collected. The patients were divided into 2 groups in terms of skin closure methods as the mattress suture and the intracutaneous suture groups. In final control, the visual analogue scale (VAS) was used in order to determine their cosmetic satisfaction and it was investigated if any recurrence occurred. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed in terms of skin closure time during surgery (p=0,143), duration of hospitalization (p=0.724), duration of surgery (p=0.3), postoperative wound site complications (p=0.152), time of return-to-work (p=0.498) and recurrence (p=0.89) between the groups. At the end of the follow-up period, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups in terms of patients' subjective assessments regarding the cosmetic appearance of wound site (p=0.981). CONCLUSIONS: Skin closures by using mattress suture or intracutaneous absorbable suture material after the Karydakis flap surgery are reliable methods that can be used, but intracutaneous closure method may reduce infection and maceration rates.