How Deep? - A randomised controlled trial into the surgical treatment of carbuncles

A carbuncle is a deep, painful skin infection — essentially a cluster of boils connected under the skin — that typically requires surgery to drain and clean out. The current standard surgical approach is called saucerisation, where the entire infected area is cut down to healthy tissue, often leaving a large open wound that can take weeks to heal and may require a skin graft. This trial is testing whether a less aggressive surgical approach — making a smaller cut to drain the pus and remove only the obviously infected tissue — gives equally good or better outcomes. Patients diagnosed with a carbuncle (generally in remote Northern Australia) are randomly assigned to either the current standard full-thickness excision or the more conservative incision and drainage. The study will compare how long the wound takes to heal, whether a skin graft is needed, and how long patients need to stay in hospital or make follow-up trips for care. You may be eligible if you are 18 or older and have been diagnosed with a carbuncle. People who are pregnant, breastfeeding, have significant health conditions that make surgery unsafe, or are under the Mental Health Act are not eligible.