Question
A two-and-a-half-year-old patient with congenital preauricular fistula has been treated with anti-inflammatory medication and is inquiring about the suitability of undergoing surgery now. They also want to know whether to choose general anesthesia or regional anesthesia during the surgery, and are concerned about the potential impact of anesthesia on the future.
Answer
Generally, asymptomatic patients do not require treatment. If there is infection and inflammation, antibiotics or sulfonamide drugs can be administered, such as penicillin, 800,000 units each time, administered by intramuscular injection (note to perform an allergy test); or erythromycin, 0.25g each time, taken orally three times a day. If a abscess forms, it should be incised and drained promptly, with regional cleaning and disinfection using iodophor gauze for dressing changes; after the redness subsides and the infection is controlled, a fistula excision can be performed. It is essential to remove the fistula completely in one session; otherwise, leaving any part of the fistula may lead to continued infection, and the outcome of a subsequent surgery would be poor.