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The effect of hair removal after surgery for sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease: a systematic review of the literature

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Abstract

Background

It has been suggested that removal of body hair in the sacrococcygeal area prevents recurrence after surgery for sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease (SPSD). The aim of this study was to review the literature regarding the effect of hair depilation on the recurrence rate in patients surgically treated for SPSD.

Methods

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library by using synonyms for SPSD. Title, abstract, and full text were screened by two independent reviewers. Data were systematically collected from all included studies by using a standardized data extraction form.

Results

The search and selection yielded 14 studies, involving 963 patients. The study design of the included studies was: retrospective cohort (n = 7), prospective cohort (n = 3), randomized controlled trial (n = 2), and case–control (n = 2).The mean length of follow-up was 37.0 (standard error of the mean: 35.0) months. The recurrence rate was 9.3% (34 out of 366 patients) in patients who had laser hair removal, 23.4% (36 out of 154 patients) in those who had razor shaving/cream depilation, and 19.7% (85 out of 431 patients) in those who had no hair removal after surgery for SPSD.

Conclusions

This systematic review showed a lower recurrence rate after laser hair removal compared to no hair removal and razor/cream depilation. Due to the small sample size and limited methodological quality of the included studies, a high-quality randomized controlled trial is required.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Aart Huisman Stichting E. Scarrot, MD, Department of Histopathology, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Diakonessenhuis, Bosboomstraat 1, P.O. Box 80250, 3508 TG, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    A. A. Pronk & N. Smakman

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Sint Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

    L. Eppink

  3. Department of Abdominal Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    E. J. B. Furnee

Authors
  1. A. A. Pronk
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  2. L. Eppink
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  3. N. Smakman
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  4. E. J. B. Furnee
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Correspondence to A. A. Pronk.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Pronk, A.A., Eppink, L., Smakman, N. et al. The effect of hair removal after surgery for sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease: a systematic review of the literature. Tech Coloproctol 22, 7–14 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10151-017-1722-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10151-017-1722-9

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