Coccygectomy

Editor-In-Chief: Patrick Foye, MD, Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehab., UMDNJ-NJMS

Overview

Coccygectomy is surgery to remove the coccyx.

In humans, coccygectomy is the treatment of last resort for coccydynia, but a required treatment for sacrococcygeal teratoma and other germ cell tumors involving the coccyx.

To preserve normal defecation, coccygectomy normally is accompanied by re-attachment (also known as re-approximation) of the two levator ani muscles and of the perineum, parts of the pelvic floor. In adults who undergo coccygectomy, but not in babies and young children, one infrequent complication is a later perineal hernia.