Events of the last one year has made me genuinely empathise with folks having uncommon complex illnesses in Nigeria and other third world countries. This is my pilonidal diary, someone might find it useful.

A pilonidal is a blind ending tract that runs from the natal cleft upwards. A tract is like a tiny tunnel. The natal cleft is the ditch between your butt cheeks. It is a benign often chronic condition associated with an abscess (boil) that discharges intermittently and usually located at the junction between your butt and your back. As days turn to months and years, it should become apparent to any naive sufferer that it is more than just a boil.

It will amaze you how very few doctors in Nigeria really know what a pilonidal sinus is and surgical therapies available to manage it. It is a "fascinating" disease that has irked surgeons leading to several proposed approaches. Some favourable approaches require resources that are unavailable in Nigeria, e.g FIBRIN GLUE.

Your butt is as HAIRY as a gorrilla, you SIT for hours at work or downright lazy, You carry on with a smelly UNHYGIENIC butt, OBESE like an elephant or have FAMILY history of anal issues; these are risk factors. Mine is the first two. Gratefully my boil never exceeded the size of a bean, but i wanted to get rid of it.

After a failed first excision I got warmed up to finally crush the boil. I read volumes about the condition and had become a professor of pilonidal excision by my own right. I could use a sledge hammer or tacitly end its charade. I opted for the later. I cautiously chose a renowned professor of surgery I hoped fully understood the disease. I WAS WRONG!!!

When the professor explained how he was going to perform surgery, I was petrified! I feared that my butt will never recover from such trauma if I quietly let him go on with it. I've sacrificed a lot already to have another failed surgery.

UNLIKE MOST DOCTORS though, prof had such an amiable and receptive persona. He listened as I delivered a passionate lecture on how a funeral service for pilonidal sinus should be properly conducted. I capped it with a power point on my mini tab prepared by JOHN BASCOM. His expression was revealing. He had just realised the enormity of the condition.

Fully armed, we headed for the theatre. He found a PIT (actual sinus opening) excised it and closed it. He then incised and drained the lateral abscess, this was left open to heal SECONDARILY (on its own). I left the hospital 30 minutes after feeling hopeful. 45 minutes later I was in a pool of blood. I had an arterial bleed from the excision site. My dad drove me back to the hospital. I had a stitch placed over that end of the incision.
Surgery day was eventful but over. Twice daily dressings of the open wound is compulsory and rigorous. I carefully skipped details on the dreaded sensation- PAIN and how it dotted every step of my therapy so far.
Its post op day 4 and I'm doing fine, just out of work and losing money.
UPDATES AS I PROGRESS........

To be honest, i have a vast knowledge of myriad of diseases but i do not know about this.
I wish you a quick and speedy recovery. Keep us updated as you undergo your post-surgery therapy

PRISTINEMUSCLES:
To be honest, i have a vast knowledge of myriad of diseases but i do not know about this.
I wish you a quick and speedy recovery. Keep us updated as you undergo your post-surgery therapy

Thanks alot. Incidence is pretty low- 26 in 100,000. Success of therapy depends 90% on post op care. I'm on it and your best wishes are welcome

Its day 5. I'm coping just fine. I can sit and drive short distances. The surgery site is still oozing exudates with occasional strands of hair. Every hair strand I see confirms the tunnel is still cleaning out and that's quite consoling. Exudates look a lot like pus but is thinner with a tinge of green and doesn't smell at all. I have an A.P with the prof today

I think I might be having same problem please reply so ill know you still active on this thread so I can explain further.

Pls I have a brother that is seriously down with this pilonidal sinus. He has been to 2 different hospitals in PH and Enugu still no improvement. He has a swelling now in his back that they said is abscess collection, if u press it, pus will come out from the pilonidal site. Pls I need contact of the Prof that helped u. If u know any good hospital in Nigeria, pls direct me. I'm begging abeg. Waiting for ur feedback. Thanks.