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Hidradenitis Suppurativa Surgery Program

If you, or a loved one, suffer from hidradenitis suppurativa, and have exhausted other treatment options, we can help. The Department of Plastic Surgery at UPMC has developed a novel treatment to reduce symptoms of this rare skin disease.

What Is Hidradenitis Suppurativa?

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic skin condition that causes lumps or boils. It often appears near sweat glands where the skin rubs together, such as the armpits or groin. Blockages in hair follicles cause inflammation, resulting in swollen bumps.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is not contagious.

You may be more likely to get this disease if you are:

  • Overweight
  • A woman (HS is three times more common in women than men)
  • A smoker
  • Related to someone who has HS, as it is considered a genetic condition

Without treatment, symptoms from hidradenitis suppurativa can get worse. Bumps on the skin can become infected and break open, causing a great deal of pain and scarring.

This skin disease can last for many months or years, often in the form of repeated outbreaks.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Surgery

Those who have had recurrent outbreaks know how persistent and uncomfortable the condition is.

Treatments — such as antibiotics, steroids, or immunosuppressants — can help manage symptoms, but rarely offer long-term relief.

Our plastic surgeons developed a novel technique to effectively treat hidradenitis suppurativa.

After a preoperative consultation in our clinic, you’ll have a short surgery to remove the affected skin. Our surgeons then resurface the area with adjacent healthy tissue.

This results in skin that is clear of painful bumps and infections.

For more information about hidradenitis suppurativa and UPMC’s definitive approach to treatment, read our FAQs page.

Our Hidradenitis Suppurativa Surgery Experts

Our plastic surgeons are uniquely skilled in treating people who are frustrated by failed treatments. Led by T. Oguz Acarturk, MD, our team has pioneered the definitive treatment to stop painful hidradenitis suppurativa symptoms.

On Topic Video: Hidradenitis Suppurativa

T. Oguz Acarturk, MD, discusses the causes of HS, what to expect during the evaluation process, and how surgery can definitively remove HS from an anatomical area.