GLUTEUS MAXIMUS MUSCULOCUTANEOUS FLAP FOR THE TREATMENT OF RECALCITRANT PILONIDAL DISEASE

Although conservative surgery should be the initial approach to piloni dal disease, there remains a select group of patients with recalcitran t disease who fail repeated interventions and for whom a more aggressi ve approach is justified. Use of a large gluteus maximus musculocutane ous flap to facilitate wide excision, to allow for primary closure wit h well-vascularized tissue, and to alter the anatomy of the gluteal cl eft has been used in 5 patients with chronic recurrent recalcitrant di sease. The use of this large muscle unit in these otherwise healthy ad ults has achieved control over their pilonidal disease with acceptable morbidity and no demonstrable functional sequelae.