I had a L5 S1 fusion with hardware and discetctomy in September of  last year. I suffer from a pilonidal cyst. Yesterday I had a general surgeon lance and pack it. I am on antibiotics. Since the cyst began infected I have been suffering from a bad fever, chills, tiredness, loss of appetite, and nauseous. I have also noticed my lumbar area is really hot and incredibly swollen. Should I be worried? What should I do ?
Thanks for writing to us. Pilonidal cyst is usually at the coccyx and the lower end of the sacrum. Fusion is unlikely to get infected due to cyst. Swelling in that area is common due to cyst infection. However, I would suggest treating the infection aggressively and may be with IV antibiotics. Any such infection can cause bacteremia and secondary lodging of the bacteria at the implant. Thanks.