If you keep having problems with a pilonidal cyst, it can be removed surgically. This procedure is done as an outpatient procedure, so you will not need to spend the night in the hospital. You may be given medicine (general anesthesia) that keeps you asleep and pain-free.
You had surgery to remove a pilonidal cyst. How long it will take for you to heal depends on the way your surgery was done. If the cut (incision) was closed with stitches, it will probably take about 4 weeks to completely heal. If your incision is left open, it may take from a few weeks to several months to heal.
Traditional surgery for pilonidal cysts involves excising the wound then packing it with gauze. Recovery from this type of surgery can take weeks or months to heal, is extremely painful, and often results in a recurrence. Cleft lift surgery is an outpatient surgery that only requires about 1 hour to perform.