Sexual Function in Patients Suffering from Sacrococcygeal Pilonidal Sinus Disease

Introduction Sexual function is one of the aspects upon which quality of life (QoL) is based. Although previous studies have evaluated the influence of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease (SPSD) on QoL, no data are available on the influence of SPSD on sexual function in a highly active sexual population based on the age range. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate whether SPSD has a negative impact on sexual function and whether this is influenced by the surgical treatment of SPSD. Methods Sexual function was pre- and postoperatively assessed by the Sexual Self-Consciousness Scale (SSCS; score range 0-48), subdivided into the sexual embarrassment (SE; score range 0-24) and sexual self-focus subscale (SFF; score range 0-24). The higher the score, the higher is the sexual dysfunction. Patients were also asked whether SPSD influenced their sexual functioning. Results A total of 88 male patients who underwent surgical treatment for SPSD were included in the study. The mean (±SD) preoperative SSCS score was 14.5±9.1 and 13.9±8.4 two weeks postoperatively (p=0.394). Six and twelve weeks after surgery, there was a significant reduction to 12.2±9.0 (p=0.002) and 12.3±8.8 (p=0.013), respectively. SE decreased from 5.5±5.1 preoperatively to 5.1±4.6 (p=0.258), 4.2±4.7 (p=0.004) and 4.0±4.6 (p=0.013) two, six, and twelve weeks after surgery. For SFF, there was a decrease from 9.0±5.0 to 8.9±4.9 (p=0.717), 7.8±5.2 (p=0.004) and 8.2±5.3 (p=0.168), respectively. Preoperatively, 70% of the patients totally or partially disagreed that SPSD influenced their sexual functioning, and this increased to 80% of the patients 12 weeks after surgery. Conclusion This prospective study showed a significant decrease in sexual dysfunction, both six and twelve weeks after surgery, compared to preoperatively in patients suffering from SPSD.