Have you recently undergone or are you planning to undergo the pilonidal cyst removal surgery? If so, you will wonder about the post-surgery recovery time. If truth be told, there are chances for complications after the surgery, as with other surgeries. The recovery time will depend on the consequences of the post-surgery recovery speed and pattern. You are advised to concentrate more on the recovery measures than to keep wondering about the recovery time that will only trigger stress and strain. Here are the key factors in determining the exact recovery after the surgery.
The surgical closer alternative
After completing the pilonidal cyst removal surgery, the surgeon will likely leave the wound open, or they may stick it close. The surgical closure is one of the key factors in determining the recovery time.
If the surgeon decides to close the wound after surgery, you can expect healing faster than with the open-end surgical method. In this case, patients usually attain significant improvements within a fortnight. However, in this case, the patient has a higher chance of catching an infection that is likely to produce a devastating outcome.
On the other hand, the open-end closure may feature lesser chances for infection, but it takes a significantly longer time to produce the recovery. You should be ready to face the consequence wherein it might take several months after the surgery to restore your health condition completely. If the cyst turns infectious before the surgery, open-end closure is the only possible option, as closed-end surgery will accelerate the chances of catching an infection.
Homely recovery steps
Usually, patients start to experience improvements after a week from undergoing surgery. They will likely resume daily chores within a fortnight after the surgery. But, the extent of the personal care will majorly determine the recovery.
- If you had the closed-end surgery, it would help if you kept changing the dressing intervals over a few days. It will lessen the chances of catching an infection and thus complicate the health conditions further. Consequently, the recovery time will accelerate majorly.
- To accelerate recovery, patients undergoing open-end closure surgery must clean the wound multiple times daily. It will downsize the chances of catching infections further.
- Please ensure adequate hydration. Consequently, your physician is likely to prescribe supplements to help you escape constipation, improving the recovery rate.
- Please ensure adequate rest to speed up the recovery rate.
- It will help if you work on a regular physical regime, starting a week after the surgery.
- Please refrain from sitting on hard surfaces as it is likely to trigger further damage to the wound. It will help if you are sitting on soft, cushioned surfaces. It will improve the recovery and help you to prevent chances of injection to the wound.
- Keep shaving the place around the cyst. It will prevent hair from aggravating on the spot.
- Especially if you undergo open-end surgery, keep visiting the physician from time to time as suggested. It will help you to escape the chances of complications at a later stage.
- If you start experiencing any problems after the injury, you must seek appropriate medical care at its earliest. It will help you to escape the chances of complications at a later stage.
- You must adhere to the highest standard of health and hygiene. An unhygienic lifestyle will inevitably cause infection, offering a major hurdle in recovery.
- Please ensure adequate nutrition to speed up the recovery. You must take medicine as suggested by your doctor.
Recovery time for various types of pilonidal cyst removal surgeries.
Excision
It is a traditional surgery for pilonidal cysts, and the doctor removes the tissue from the body. It is the most detailed process of treating the cyst. The process is recommendable for severe cases. But you need to go through a long recovery period.
Closed wounds
Your surgeon sews the excision sites at the end of the removal process. After undergoing the surgical process, the wound takes around 4 weeks to recover. So, you have to avoid doing physical activities like exercises.
Open wounds
In this case, your physician will leave your wound open. That is why it is important to replace the packing frequently for faster recovery. Although the success rate is high with this treatment, you cannot resume your normal activities for a longer period. It takes at least 4 weeks to recover. But, for full recovery, you have to wait for 2 months.
Unroofing
It is the process of making incisions at the concerned site. But, the surgeon will not remove the full tissue. Only the upper part is eliminated. The skin near your cyst is trimmed. The best fact is that you can start doing your regular activities within a week. It takes 1 to 2 months to recover. If you take the right post-procedure care, you will get the best result from this treatment.
So, the recovery time differs depending on your chosen surgical treatment. You can talk to your surgeon to know the average recovery period. He will also provide you with post-recovery tips.