Decided NOT to have surgery

[Kate71]

No Cricket, you didn't offend anyone. I hope I didn't either.
Personally, I think open healing is barbaric. That's the reason I started looking for other options. I assume cleft lift is best but as you say, not within everyone's range for different reasons. What I just wanted to say was if you can't get a cleft lift, there's no reason to panic. For most people open excision or karydakis works just fine.

[Jaredsmom]

Cricket,

Never apologize for trying to help people!!! If they don't or can't listen to your advice, then that's their choice/life.

I've been here for a long time, and many times people who can't get the cleft lift have told me to shut up about it because hearing about it upsets them. Well, I'm sorry, but shutting up is not an option. I, like Cricket, believe that cleft lift is THE best bet for a cure. Now, why would I keep my mouth shut about something I feel so strongly could help others???

As for Kate, Is a rhomboid flap the same as a z plasty? These surgeries all have different names, which gets confusing. If so, well.....a z plasty is NOT considered a good option by the owner of this website nor by the few members who have had this procedure. A past member who doesn't come here as often as she used to had a z plasty, and said it was a horrible nightmare. She no longer comes to this site as often...because she had a cleft lift and is cured. The site owner also does not endorse Z plasty. Perhaps you could message Sasha or louiseh57 and ask them about z plasty. But, if you want to give it a try, then by all means do so. But past patients and the knowledgeable owner of this site do NOT endorse this procedure.

[cricket1]

i was told by my docter that a z-plast ruins your chances of other options. in some cases other surgerys can be preformed to fix the terrible doings of a z-plasty and for others it closes all doors.

[Kate71]

Well, thanks for cheering me up; I will have this surgery in three days.
I'm not sure know if its similar to a z-plastic; I'm not a surgeon. I was told the Rhomboid is a modified Karydakis. I will have a z-shaped scare so that's why I thought it was also similar to a z-plastic.

However, there's no other option for me: in my country you cannot shop endless until you find a doctor who is willing to perform the exact surgery you want. You can get a first and a second opinion and that's it. Insurance wont' cover more. I consider myself lucky I picked a surgeon for this second opinion who at least knows that different surgeries do exist (the first one didn't).

I did not mean to tell anybody to shut up; I just think it's not comforting for people to read -again and again- that the cleft lift is THE ONLY solution for EVERY pilonidal sinus. Because it's not true. It may be the best solution, and for some people the only. But for most people a cleft lift is not neccesary! That's what I wanted to say, nothing more and nothing less.

This is what I found about rhomboid:
http://www.thesurgeon.net/site/CMD=O...0/default.aspx
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/conten...00009/art00017
and with all respect; I rather rely on scientific experiences then on what people on this forum think. That having said, I will be out of here for a while (at least untill my surgery) because it's upsetting me and that's the last thing I can use right now.

[cricket1]

i'm really sorry in my part that made u to decide to not come on here. i'm sure i cannot change your mind and its probably too late but i hope u have a great support team where u are. i mean u could stay comming on here and i could stop posting on your posts and if i did post something i could refrain from anything pesimistic, dark or scary. i don't like feeling like the kind of person who's so unsupportive that someone leaves potentially the only place of solace. this is just not fair and i'm really sorry again. i really hope u see this and i'm really wishing u the best for your upcomming surgery. i don't wish for peoples surgerys to fail, i just try to help people see all sides to that possible surgery. if the surgery succeeds in its objective than i'm thrilled and than we have one more surgery or procedure to have for options. its wonderful to see the great stories here too but unfortunatly this site seems to have more of the reaccuring and failures. big hugs to u. sorry again. i don't always see how i can make other people feel.

[ashthree]

Modified Karydakis worked a treat for me, good luck!

[Kate71]

Thanks ashtree.

Of course I still read it; can't stay away can I? It's the only place on the internet about this, or at least the best.

This website is very useful, but it's a big disadvantage that most (regular) visitors are people with complications. Hundreds of mayby thousands of pilonidal surgeries are performed each day worldwide; most of them go smoothly but those people do not lurk around here.

There are lots of horror stories on this site and not of all them are true. Like that pilonidal cysts would always tunnel. This is crap; both surgeons I spoke to said tunneling is very rare. But when I first read about it I was freaking out.

Of course I would prefer the cleft lift. Like all regular visitors of this site, I know it is considered the most effective surgery. But I can't get one, and with me many other people. I think I made that quite clear in my topics. Therefore, I just do not get the point of repeating (in my topics) that the cleft lift is the best surgery. I know it is. But it's not in my limited range of options. End of story.

About my own surgery: I still do not understand exactly what they are going to do. It's called rhomboid; according to the surgeon it's a modified karydakis; when I look on the internet the term rhomboid is associated with Limberg. They all sound very similar to me and I'm not a surgeon. What I do know is that they won't cut in the midline, the surgeon is supposed to be 'good' at this and I won't have to pack an open wound. That's what counted for me.

[cricket1]

thanks for staying and honestly i mean it.......good luck on your surgery. we will be thinking of u.

[surgeryx4_4sarah]

Kate,
My daughter had a Karydakis flap over 3 months agao and so far, so good! I wish I had found a Dr to do this sugery instead of having 2 other sugerys from a dr we did have.
The only 2 things that bothered daughter was the JT Drain {not sure if you will have one, but it's not bad just a bit of a pain to take care} and the last 2 stitches broke earliy on, but she healed up just fine.
So I wish you good luck and fast healing! Take care!
Sharon

[Kate71]

Thanks. I'm not supposed to get a drain, unless things look restless inside, but I don't think they will. Actually, my tailbone area is feeling completely normal right now. I can even slouch in my chair (and I did last night, just for the sake of it! )

I had a drain with my lancing in june, so I know what it's like. Uncomfortable, not really painful.

I'm getting a bit nervous right now. Tomorrow at this hour, it's al done!
I'm in good shape, the only annoying thing is that surgery will probably coincide with my period. Not ideal, but what can you do.

I forgot to ask whether I will have dissolavable stitches. About three weeks post op I will revisit the doctor. If everything is ok by then, I will go home and
a) open a bottle of champaign
b) post a 'succes' story here!