Patient success stories
Hear from the people who overcame pilonidal disease with help from Dr. Jeffrey Sternberg and The Sternberg Clinic of San Francisco.
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Browse All Testimonials and Patient Stories
‘I couldn’t believe that my life was back to normal’
I am a 24-year-old recovered patient from the Cleft Lift procedure. I first found out I had Pilonidal Disease when I was 19 and it was definitely some weird news to me (I got the Cleft Lift when I was 23 so I lived with the disease for 4-5 years). I had no idea whatContinue reading “‘I couldn’t believe that my life was back to normal’”
‘Highly effective’: Recommendation from a patient of 20 years
I have been a patient of Dr. Sternberg for roughly 20 years and always found him to be very professional, knowledgeable with a wonderful demeanor. This also goes for his office staff. All my procedures and treatments have been as comfortable as they could be, and highly effective. I would recommend Dr. Sternberg to anyoneContinue reading “‘Highly effective’: Recommendation from a patient of 20 years”
Thanks from a Cured High School Student
After our daughter endured three failed surgeries by other providers to treat her pilonidal disease and missed nearly a year of high school, we turned to Dr. Sternberg. Our daughter was so worried that a Cleft Lift would radically change her appearance, though when the removed bandages revealed a great outcome, she cried with joyContinue reading “Thanks from a Cured High School Student”
The Cleft Lift procedure is as good as it gets
I have a lot of gratitude for Dr. Sternberg and his team! I learned about pilonidal disease and surgeries online and found them dismal and not encouraging at all. It was gloomy to see that most surgeons would recommend a procedure which would have maybe a 50 percent success rate, with possible future surgeries inContinue reading “The Cleft Lift procedure is as good as it gets”
Liz’s Story: ‘No one should have to go through this’
We received a letter this month from a patient of The Sternberg Clinic who has successfully recovered from Pilonidal Disease after undergoing the Cleft Lift procedure at The Sternberg Clinic for Pilonidal Surgery. Read her story: What started off as something that seemed simple to correct, turned in to the worst experience of my life. Continue reading “Liz’s Story: ‘No one should have to go through this’”
A Mother’s Plea: Treating her Son’s Pilonidal Disease
I received an email in the recent past from a mother who told the story of her teen age son and the emotional toll his failed pilonidal treatments had taken on him and his family. Bill went through high school dealing with the annoying drainage, smell, and embarrassing staining. After graduation, he wanted to beContinue reading “A Mother’s Plea: Treating her Son’s Pilonidal Disease”
Improper medical treatment for pilonidal disease
A story that demonstrates how much of our medical community fails in properly treating pilonidal disease. Read the story of Daniel, a 17-year-old patient with pilonidal disease.
A College Freshman’s Story of Pilonidal Surgery
A college student and Sternberg Clinic patient shares his experience with Pilonidal Surgery in the hands of Dr. Sternberg.
Discovering the ‘Cleft Lift’
I had my pilonidal for several years before I found this website in my attempt to deal with the problem once and for all. Through this site, I discovered the “cleft lift” proceedure as pioneered by Dr. John Bascom of Oregon. I decided to call Dr. Bascom, and he referred me to San Francisco based surgeonContinue reading “Discovering the ‘Cleft Lift’”
The Story of a College Football Star and a Pilonidal Cyst
A pilonidal cyst greatly impacted this college football star until he underwent surgery with Dr. Jeffrey Sternberg
Finally, a Successful Surgery
My son had surgery for a pilonidal cyst 4 years ago, he continued to have pain after surgery, had 2 more surgeries last year and had to leave school because it got to the point where he could not sit anymore—we saw Dr Sternberg for this, he recommended a “cleft lift procedure”. My son hadContinue reading “Finally, a Successful Surgery”
The Cleft Lift Procedure Saved my Baseball Career
Don’t let just anyone perform a Cleft Lift Procedure on you or a loved one. Do your homework and find a surgeon well experienced in the Cleft Lift Procedure and get your life back!
High praise from a grateful sufferer of an acute pilonidal abscess that was drained with great relief
This dude is a pilonidal expert. For those that don’t know what this is, it’s this really annoying cyst in your butt crack that makes it hurt to sit down. It’s like having a zit / bruise on the end of your spinal cord. This doctor always relieves my pain and is a very niceContinue reading “High praise from a grateful sufferer of an acute pilonidal abscess that was drained with great relief”
My Senior Year of College was Ruined by a Bad Operation for my Pilonidal Cyst
I feel that we doctors are in a rut when it comes to the care of pilonidal problems. ER, Urgent Care, Pediatricians, Dermatologists, and Internists often have a tough time making the diagnosis and even a more difficult time directing the proper path for treatment. More concerning is that many surgeons who ultimately treat theContinue reading “My Senior Year of College was Ruined by a Bad Operation for my Pilonidal Cyst”
Surgery saved my high school football career
I could not have had a greater experience with Dr. Sternberg and his team! I visited a surgeon before finding Dr. Sternberg who told me that my football career would be over and that I would require pilonidal surgery that would take over six months to heal. My mother found this website and we immediatelyContinue reading “Surgery saved my high school football career”
A Comfortable and Well-Informed Patient
Dr. Sternberg and his team are phenomenal in my opinion. I went in for a pilonidal operation. From first consultation to surgery I felt comfortable and well-informed about the whole process. Dr. Sternberg and team did a great job with my surgery. I was especially impressed with all the follow up check-ins afterwards, to ensureContinue reading “A Comfortable and Well-Informed Patient”
Mother with Pilonidal Cyst
I recently met with a young mother. She had been dealing with the emotional toll of living with an open wound for 3 years after 5 failed pilonidal operations. Here’s what she initially wrote to me: “Hi! I am in desperate need of help and feel this may be my last resort. I have beenContinue reading “Mother with Pilonidal Cyst”
I’m a Woman. I can’t have Pilonidal ‘Cyst’, right?
Pilonidal Disease might be more common in men, but many women are affected too.
That’s not Saddle Sore. Discovering Pilonidal Disease
Hey – I thought that was a saddle sore, or a sore tailbone, but my doctor told me it’s a pilonidal cyst. What do I do now??? Help! Patient Email My family and I recently attended the Jackson Wyoming Rodeo. What a hoot! My 4 yo boy and 7 yo girl (in a skirt) rodeContinue reading “That’s not Saddle Sore. Discovering Pilonidal Disease”
Another Tragic Story of Failed Surgery for Pilonidal Disease
I received an email from a patient’s mother last week: I’m hoping to get an appointment for my son who has been suffering for over 2 years, first from pilonidal disease, and now from the consequences of failed surgery that made his problem far worse. I’m just perplexed that surgery would make a bad problemContinue reading “Another Tragic Story of Failed Surgery for Pilonidal Disease”
Another Pilonidal Cyst Operation Gone Bad
While I see around 5 or more new patients with pilonidal issues a week, and around 40% of those patients travel from outside of the Bay Area to meet with me because they have complex pilonidal issues, a young patient who I evaluated this week stands out. He’s a high school student and has sufferedContinue reading “Another Pilonidal Cyst Operation Gone Bad”
Thank you for ‘giving our son his life back’
Dr. Sternberg is a PHENOMENAL surgeon with the highest credentials, tremendous experience with pilonidal disease, and a heart of gold for his patients. My son had suffered from pilonidal disease for 6 ½ years and had 4 previous failed surgeries. Three different surgeons (one operated on him twice) told us that the only means ofContinue reading “Thank you for ‘giving our son his life back’”
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