Pit-pick
For limited cases. It is a minimally invasive procedure that treats the openings of the disease without removing a wide area of skin.
Reviewed by Dr. Patricia Tejedor · Updated: October 23, 2026
Coloproctology Madrid
Pilonidal cyst: treatment in Madrid
We treat simple pilonidal sinus with minimally invasive techniques, and complex disease or disease that has come back after surgery with Bascom cleft lift.
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Clinical summary
A pilonidal cyst or pilonidal sinus causes pain, swelling, discharge or repeated infections in the cleft between the buttocks. Limited cases can be treated with pit-pick, a minimally invasive procedure. In complex or recurrent disease, Bascom cleft lift removes the affected tissue and moves the scar away from the midline.
What is a pilonidal cyst?
It is a condition of the cleft between the buttocks, above the tailbone. It is called pilonidal cyst, pilonidal sinus or pilonidal disease, and the three names refer to the same thing.
It can cause little trouble for a while and then suddenly become infected, or discharge on and off for months. Many patients come to the clinic after one or more operations that have not solved the problem.
Symptoms
The most common are pain, swelling and discharge in the cleft between the buttocks, and infections that keep coming back. If there is severe pain, fever or the area gets worse quickly, you should be seen urgently.
How we treat it
The first step is to tell simple disease from complex or recurrent disease, because the treatment is different.
Bascom cleft lift
For complex or recurrent disease. The affected tissue is removed and the scar is moved away from the midline, aiming for better healing and fewer recurrences.
If you have already had surgery and it came back
This is common in our clinic. A pilonidal sinus that returns after surgery can still be treated. We assess the area and the previous scars, and for recurrent disease Bascom cleft lift is the technique we use.
Our team
Who will see you
Dr. Patricia Tejedor
Colorectal surgeon
View doctor: Dr. Patricia TejedorFellow of the European Board of Surgery in Coloproctology (FEBS). She sees patients at Hospital Memorial Publio Cordón, in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid).
Frequently asked questions about pilonidal cysts
Are a pilonidal cyst and a pilonidal sinus the same thing?
Yes. They are two names for the same condition of the cleft between the buttocks. It is also called pilonidal disease.
What is pit-pick?
A minimally invasive procedure for limited cases. It treats the openings of the disease without removing a wide area of skin.
What is Bascom cleft lift?
An operation for complex or recurrent disease. It removes the affected tissue and moves the scar away from the midline, aiming for better healing and fewer recurrences.
I had surgery and it came back. Can it be fixed?
Yes. Disease that recurs after previous operations is one of the cases we treat with Bascom cleft lift. At the consultation we assess the area and the previous scars before proposing the technique.
Do I need to stay in hospital? How long is recovery?
In principle, no hospital stay is needed: pit-pick and cleft lift are done under spinal anesthesia (similar to an epidural) or general anesthesia, and the patient goes home the same day. After that we recommend about 3 to 5 days at home. From then on you can go back to work, avoiding strenuous exercise for a while and keeping the wound dry at all times.
When should I go to the emergency department?
If there is severe pain, fever or the area gets worse quickly. In those cases the assessment should be urgent.
Verified reviews
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What our patients say
L
4 weeks ago
5/5
Wonderful surgical team, among the best out there. Dr. Torrent (expert in peritoneal carcinomatosis) is an exceptional surgeon and an even better person. His coordinator is super kind, fast and efficient. The personal care is excellent and so are the results. This is of vital importance for cancer patients.
K
5 months ago
5/5
In the public healthcare system they gave my father a maximum of one year to live. They only offered him chemo and no hope, said it was impossible, that nothing could be done. He had several tumors inside the peritoneal sac with metastases. A year and a half later he is clean, completely cured. His latest PET scan came back clean. We are very happy. Thanks to Dr. Torrent and his team. THANK YOU.
M
A year ago
5/5
Excellent professionals, especially Dr. Torrent, attentive at all times to the patient (my wife), operated for peritoneal pseudomyxoma. They helped us with all our needs since we came from outside Barcelona. Thank you Elisabeth. We are very grateful to Quenet Torrent Institute, thank you for everything.
P
2 years ago
5/5
I am a 63-year-old patient. They detected adrenal gland cancer and told me there was nothing to be done. I sought a second opinion and they told me about the Quenet Torrent team, specialists in complex operations. Dr. Torrent, from the first moment, told me they could operate. They operated and removed a large tumor mass. I spent a week in the ICU and a month on the ward. Every day he came morning and evening, no matter Saturday or Sunday. Never throw in the towel. I am happy to have found these professionals who gave me my life back. Thank you.
I
3 years ago
5/5
Many thanks for your attention. Dr. Torrent always attentive, involved and decisive. The reception staff very pleasant and always offering the best option. 100% RECOMMENDED. THANK YOU.
M
5 years ago
5/5
Dr. Torrent helped me make the best decision at a difficult moment. I think he is a great professional and a person capable of accompanying you and putting himself in another's shoes. Thank you for everything.
F
6 years ago
5/5
I have peritoneal carcinomatosis. When I sent my diagnosis to every center, practically all of them agreed on palliative chemo with little survival time, since I had a very aggressive type of cell. Until we reached Dr. Quenet, Dr. Torrent and their team. I can only confirm what their CV announces: they are far ahead of the rest. They saved my life, because during the operation the harmful cells that everyone had diagnosed, and that were the reason nobody would operate on me, were not there. This intervention has become the best investment of my life.
M
6 years ago
5/5
The best decision of my life was finding this excellent team of surgeons who saved my husband's life. At a prestigious international clinic in Madrid he was given up for lost with advanced peritoneal carcinomatosis from appendiceal cancer, and thanks to them, the best professionals in this field, he was operated on very successfully. A perfect recovery with no complications, because they were on top of his progress at all times. They have a great quality: from the start they were very honest and close. I can only be deeply grateful; we went to buy time and thanks to them my husband got his life back.
E
7 years ago
5/5
Dr. Torrent is a brilliant surgeon and a very approachable and warm doctor, whose manner reveals all the qualities that make him a great person and professional: perseverance, innate curiosity and a desire to learn, humility, sincerity and empathy. Going through an operation is undoubtedly an intense experience, physically and emotionally, in which anxieties arise and you feel very vulnerable. All of that is normal, and as his former patient I can say that his care and professionalism throughout the process were absolutely exceptional. I felt very supported by him, with the confidence of knowing I was in the best hands. I will always be grateful to him. Moltes gràcies Dr. Torrent!
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