Laser applications in medicine are often regarded as particularly modern and advanced. With regard to the laser treatment of pilonidal disease, a differentiation must be made between 3 forms of application:
- sole treatment of the tailbone fistula by laser
- Laser application during a tailbone fistula surgery
- postoperative hair removal to avoid a new fistula
Only a few publications on points 1 and 2 can be found in medical databases. If at all, these are personal experience reports with correspondingly small numbers of patients, which do not allow definitive statements to be made about the usefulness of laser application in the treatment of pilonidal disease. However, laser treatment is an advantage to prevent the recurrence of a fistula postoperatively by hair removal.
Literature sources:
Klin B, Heller ON et al (1990) The use of the CO2 laser in pilonidal sinus disease: preliminary results ofan ambulatory prospective study. J Clin Laser Med Surg 8:31–37
Landa N, Aller O et al (2005) Successful treatment of recurrent pilonidal sinus with laser epilation. Dermatol Surg 31:726–728
Palesty JA, Zahir KS et al (2000) Nd: YAG laser surgery for the excision of pilonidal cysts: a comparison with traditional techniques. Lasers Surg Med 26:380–385
Yeo MS, Shim TW et al (2010) Simultaneous laser depilation and perforator-based fasciocutaneous limberg flap for pilonidal sinus reconstruction. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 63:e798–e800
