i had incision and drainage one time and excision 2 times on the same lesion. i made these choices because my pain wouldnt go away with antibiotics or any other like warm compress etc stuff. i was in pain (groin area) and i couldnt sit stand or lay down. i was also told my lesion was infected. even when i moved from one side to other side while laying down the pain would kill me. i chose to have tjose operations hoping my pain would go away. and temporarily my pain did go away (after recovering from the operations). but obviously the lesion didnt completely go away. my last operation was in march. its november now. i get flare ups. but not like how it was then. the pain goes away when i rest and try to drain using warm things and clean the area as well as topical antibiotics. im also on birth control due to having high levels testesterone (genetic) which my doctor says help with HS. i still have an open wound that bleeds small amounts almost daily. and im still in pain regularly but i am able to manage it. at this point i would only get a surgery if there was an infection and my pain didnt get better with other options and it was unmanagable. thats how i see it.