Pilonidal Laser Workshop
In-Person or Virtual Workshop
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Stanford Center for Academic Medicine
453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94305
In-Person: 8 AM - 4 PM PST
Virtual: 8 AM - 1 PM PST
Registration
Regular (Dec 1, 2025 - Feb 14, 2026): $190 - Virtual / $240 - In Person
Late (Feb 14, 2026 - Feb 26, 2026): $205 - Virtual / $255 - In Person
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This one-day workshop is designed for providers looking to launch or enhance a dedicated pilonidal clinic, with a special emphasis on incorporating laser epilation.
The morning sessions, available both in-person and virtually, cover key clinical topics including patient assessment, surgical approaches, epilation techniques, and wound care. The program also addresses practical aspects of pilonidal clinic development, such as creating a business plan for laser equipment acquisition and navigating insurance billing for laser epilation.
The afternoon session (in-person only) focuses on practical implementation, including selecting appropriate laser equipment, optimizing clinic workflow and setup, and participating in hands-on demonstrations of laser and cryotherapy devices.
Attendees will gain the knowledge and tools needed to establish a fully equipped laser epilation clinic tailored to pilonidal care.
Workshop Co-Directors:
Bill Chiu, MD and Claire Abrajano, NP, WOCN
Faculty:
Kelly Austin MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Kyle Van Arendonk, MD, Nationwide Children's Hospital
Blaine Robinson, NP, Stanford Medicine Children's Health
Agenda
SCHEDULE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES
8:00 am – 8:20 am
Welcome and Patient Experience
Breakfast
Bill Chiu, MD
8:30 am – 9:10 am
Session #1: Patient Presentation and Treatment Plan
Presenter: Bill Chiu, MD
After participating in this session, attendees should be able to:
- Recognize the different presentations of pilonidal disease
- Classify the presentations according to severity and risk of recurrence
- Distinguish the male and female patterns of pilonidal disease presentation
- Differentiate the various presentations and formulate a treatment plan
9:20 am – 10:00 am
Session #2: Treatment Part A: Surgical Approaches
Presenter: Kyle Van Arendonk, MD, PhD
After participating in this session, attendees should be able to:
- List the different surgical approaches to treat pilonidal disease
- Discuss the steps of the surgical treatment
- Summarize the pros and cons of the various surgical approaches
10:10 am – 10:50 am
Session #3: Treatment Part B: Wound Care Products and When to Apply Them
Presenter: Claire Abrajano, WOCN, NP, Bill Chiu, MD
After participating in this session, attendees should be able to:
- Review the different wound care products to treat pilonidal disease
- Compare the pros and cons of various wound care products
- Justify selection of certain wound care products at different stages of wound healing
11:00 am – 11:30 am
Session #4: Treatment Part C: Laser Epilation and Other Epilation Options
Presenter: Blaine Robinson, NP, Claire Abrajano, WOCN, NP
After participating in this session, attendees should be able to:
- Summarize the benefits of epilation in treating pilonidal disease
- List the various modalities for epilation
- Describe the process, complications, and goals of laser epilation
11:40 am – 12:30 pm
Session #5: Laser Epilation – Equipment, Insurance Billing, Business Plan for Laser Purchase
Presenter: Kelly Austin, MD, Bill Chiu, MD
After participating in this session, attendees should be able to:
- Identify different laser epilation equipment that can be used for pilonidal disease
- Formulate a business plan for purchasing a laser machine
- Compose documentations of the laser epilation procedure suitable for insurance billing
12:40 pm – 1:00 pm
Q&A Session
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Lunch (In-Person Only)
2:10 pm – 4:00 pm (In-Person Only)
Session #6: Demonstration of Laser, Cryo Machine and Setup of Laser Epilation Clinic
Presenter: Blaine Robinson, NP, Claire Abrajano, WOCN, NP
After participating in this session, attendees should be able to:
- Become familiar with the Laser and Cryo machine
- Design a laser epilation clinic with optimal exam room arrangement, equipment/caddie set up, clinic scheduling, and personnel
- Understand the elements in the intake forms, the charting requirements and policies, and the need to screen for post-laser complication