Please contact your nurse or doctor if you experience:

• Increase in pain • Increase in wound discharge • Swelling • Redness • Temperature

COMMON POST HEALING ISSUES

YOUR GUIDE TO PILONIDAL SINUS

CONCERNS

Sydney District Nursing is supported by funding from the Australian & State Governments under the HACC and CCSP Programs. Although funding has been provided by the Australian & State Governments, the material contained herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of either Government.

Healing: Once the major healing is complete you may start being naturally less careful. Continue to keep the area clean and dry. Discuss with your nurse or doctor any activities you may wish to start or resume once your wound has healed (e.g. returning to work, going to the gym or lifting small children).

Pulling: is the sensation of tugging deep underneath your scar. Gentle stretching can help reduce the tension underneath your scar. Discuss this with your treating nurse or doctor.

Itching and Tenderness: this is also normal. The newly healed scar is very tender and will be so for many months. Ensure that you are not sitting or slouching for long periods.

PLEASE NOTE: This brochure is a guide only. If you have any concerns or questions after reading this brochure you should talk to your nurse or doctor.

Special instructions:

99mm99mm98mm

296 X 210 6PP DL ROLL FOLD OUTER FRONT COVEROUTER BACK COVERIN

STR

UC

TION

S:

JOB

NU

MB

ER

:

F

OLD

ING

NU

MB

ER

: 4

4327_SDN_DL_Pilondidal Sinus_FINALv3ww.indd 1 18/11/13 2:42 PM

YOUR SCAR WHAT IS A PILONIDAL SINUS

CARE OF YOUR HEALED WOUND

• Continue to keep pressure off your tailbone. Limit sitting for long periods. Change your position regularly. Limit driving while you are still healing.

• Shower every day using an antibacterial soap.

• Wash the skin surrounding your healed wound very gently to remove hairs. You may use an exfoliating glove but do not directly rub the scar. Do not use loofah sponges: they get a build up of bacteria.

• Sometimes loose hair from the head lodges between the buttocks. The last thing you should do before getting out of the shower, is to rinse out that area to make sure it is free from soap and hair.

• Discuss with your doctor the products you may use to help prevent further ingrown hairs developing.

• If you are prone to acne or boils, you may need to change to hair and body products that do not contain oil as an ingredient. Oil may clog pores which increases the risk of new infection.

• Hair removal options must be discussed with your doctor who will consider your alternatives and your individual needs.

• When your wound has healed, you will have a scar. The scar will go through many changes over its first year as it settles.

• The scar may be very tender for the first 6 months, and you may experience a mild tenderness over the scar for the rest of your life.

• Once damaged, the skin will never completely regain all the ability to stretch that it had before.

• A slight swelling under a scar may indicate that some fluid has built up due to minor damage or injury. See your doctor if you are concerned.

• Significant swelling of the scar, any angry red discoloration, if the area feels warmer than the surrounding skin, and a fever are all signs of possible infection that need attention right away.

A Pilonidal Sinus is a common wound that usually happens when ingrown hair causes an infection.

This mostly happens at the bottom of the spine, just above the anus.

Surgery and wound dressings are needed to remove the infection and heal the wound.

• It is important to keep pressure off your tailbone.

• Limitsitting,especiallyinthefirstweekafter your surgery. Try lying on your side.

• Shower every day using an antibacterial soap.

• The nurse will visit you regularly to change your dressing. You may be asked to shower at a certain time in readiness for the visit.

• A clean pad may be applied over the wound after the shower until the nurse arrives.

CARE OF YOUR WOUND

See your doctor as soon as any of these signs appear:!

98mm99mm99mm

296 X 210 6PP DL ROLL FOLDINNER BACK COVERINNER FRONT COVER

4327_SDN_DL_Pilondidal Sinus_FINALv3ww.indd 2 18/11/13 2:42 PM