Category Archives: Blog

Pilonidal disease is a common condition affecting perhaps 1% of the young population in the United States.  Few medical practitioners appreciate the prevalence of this condition, and it is surprising how misunderstood this condition is by medical providers including surgeons. Way too many patients are having their condition improperly diagnosed.  Many urgent care providers, pediatricians,Continue reading “Underappreciated and Misunderstood”

Our commitment to successful outcomes for patients with Pilonidal Disease has been recognized by Castle Connolly again in 2023. After being nominated by other doctors, Dr. Sternberg has been awarded “Top Doctor” status. This means that Dr. Sternberg, and the Sternberg Clinic, have excelled in areas such as professional qualifications, research leadership, professional reputation, andContinue reading “Dr. Sternberg Awarded Top Doctor”

Dr. Sternberg’s paper has been published in the Seminars in Colon and Rectal Surgery journal. The Cleft Lift procedure for pilonidal disease renamed as rotation and advancement flap procedure (RAF): Insights and technical tips for a successful outcome is available online here. Here is a note from Dr. Sternberg: In this paper I describe theContinue reading “Dr. Sternberg Paper Published”

Draining a pilonidal abscess (I&D) should be in the bag of tricks of any emergency room, urgent care doctor, or surgeon.  But the practice is very variable, and many patients have unsatisfactory experiences.  Here are the main issues, and I will say this is somewhat controversial as while I feel that I am promoting well-established best practices,Continue reading “Draining a Pilonidal Abscess: Controversies and Best Practices”

Many surgeons choose to treat pilonidal patients with disfiguring, wide-excisional operations hoping to completely remove the elusive cyst. The problem is that many of these radical operations for pilonidal disease: 1) often don’t work and can lead to a recurrence as they fail to shallow the cleft, eliminate dead space under the skin surface, andContinue reading “I am on a mission to educate patients and the surgical community”