Hi John,
The question is what you mean when you say "surgery."
As far as I know, there are three main types of surgery used to "treat" HS. The first is a first aid treatment, the incision and drainage of a lesion ("lancing"). Depending on the size of the abscess and amount of buildup inside it, a tube may need to be placed for a bit.
The second is excision, where the surgeon removes an area of the skin/tissue and possibly a sinus tract.
The third, the biggest monster of them all, is skin grafting. This is reserved for the most severe cases of HS, as it is an involved procedure with relatively long recovery time.
I know nothing of the third option, but I can tell you my experience with the first two.
I had my first drainage at the tender age of 16, when I woke up in the morning to a lesion the size of a penny. I couldn't walk, and ended up in the emergency room later that day. Surgery was scheduled the following morning. With no complications, I was discharged a few days later.
A few months later, after all seemed well and it appeared the hole was healing (Mind, this was before I was diagnosed. The doctor simply told me I had to wear underwear that didn't chafe)... The hole didn't heal. I went to see a surgeon and he informed me that I needed to have an excision. He said he could perform it in a clinic with a local anesthetic. I was wary, but agreed.
I'd like to take a moment to go off on an anesthetic tangent. MAKE SURE YOU TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT ANESTHESIA. I cannot stress this enough. Apparently, local anesthetics don't take well in areas of infection. Given the fact that even when a lesion is in remission there is still a risk of minor infection, this is very important. Granted, different people have different pain thresholds, but there should be no surprises on the operating table.
Moving on! I had the surgery (And I wont distress you with the details), and after a few months... it didn't heal. Went back to the surgeon, he effectively told me I would need to keep having surgery until they caught the little ****** (
Ed Bot!
), and that was all I needed. I was out the door.
I had two more similar experiences, but they were more of the same.
As for other treatments... What have you tried? Have you done anything alternative (i.e. not Western medicine)? Nothing works for everyone, but there has been success with homeopathy, reflexology, etc. I am currently keeping my HS in check with a regimen of dietary supplements and yoga. Yoga works well because in addition to being a form of exercise that people with HS can take part in (Because it's slow-paced and sans-sweating), it boosts the energy in your body and helps all your systems function better. Jus a thought.
I realized now that this post is about a month old. Sometimes I don't visit the forum so frequently. How did the meeting go? Keep us posted!
- Avital
