Objective:

To evaluate surgical treatment effectiveness in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) by characterizing postoperative recurrence patterns and identifying associated factors, including clinical and surgical variables.

Key Findings:

• Overall recurrence occurred in 18.5% of procedures, indicating a significant challenge in surgical management.
• Tunnel recurrence was observed in 8.3% and AN recurrence in 10.2%, highlighting the need for tailored surgical strategies.
• Tunnel recurrence linked to more severe disease (Hurley III), larger excisions, and higher postoperative inflammatory activity, suggesting these factors should be considered in surgical planning.
• AN recurrence associated with obesity and limited preoperative ultrasound use, indicating areas for preoperative optimization.

Interpretation:

Differentiating between tunnel-type and AN-type recurrence provides a more meaningful evaluation of surgical failure, emphasizing the importance of preoperative ultrasound and inflammatory control for optimizing surgical outcomes.

Limitations:

• Retrospective design may introduce bias, affecting the reliability of the findings.
• Single-centre study limits generalizability of results to broader populations.
• Variability in definitions of recurrence across studies complicates comparisons.
• Potential impact of retrospective nature on data accuracy should be acknowledged.

Conclusion:

Understanding recurrence patterns and associated factors can enhance surgical planning and improve patient outcomes in HS.