Pilonidal Cyst Surgery Dressing Change: What To Expect

Following both our gluteal cleft-lift and our minimally invasive MIPiT procedures, there is absorbent gauze lightly taped over the entire region.  This cover dressing is meant to be removed and discarded prior to your first shower the day after surgery.  Specifically regarding our cleft-lift, the fully closed incision is completely covered by thin glued strips called “steri-strips” which are meant to stay on for several weeks following surgery and then spontaneously fall off in the course of normal activities;  they may get wet in the shower and are simply patted dry after showering.  There is a durably adherent band-aid at the skin surrounding the drain entry site which similarly will last for the week following surgery until the drain is removed.  No further bandaging is required following cleft-lift except for a band-aid on the drain site following drain removal. 

Following MIPiT procedures, the incisions are so small that steri-strips are generally not required; a subset of patients may have one incision lightly packed with an iodinated strip which is meant to be removed in the shower on the first postoperative day, with no further packing required. Similarly, patients who only undergo an abscess drainage have a gauze overdressing that is removed before the first shower and one lightly packed iodinated strip in the abscess cavity which is removed in the shower with no re-packing required;  a simple band-aid on the drainage hole is sufficient until a scab has formed.