How to take the photos Dr. Immerman needs

The idea of sending information back and forth in preparation for a consultation or surgery may seem new and strange – but the instant communication allowed by the internet has made this a very useful way for us to communicate with patients from outside of our local area.

The main goal of this is to prevent patients from traveling a great distance to see Dr Immerman in situations where surgery is ultimately not needed. We’ve developed a system where we can collect the information we need by email and have patients come in all ready for their consultation and surgery on the same day.

Fortunately, with pilonidal disease all the information that Dr Immerman needs can be obtained by a medical history and some photos of the gluteal area. The better the photos are, the better he can know what you need done.

In order to get photographs with the  information Dr Immerman needs please send us:

(1) an image of the entire buttock area when standing. This shows how deep the gluteal crease is in your resting position.

(2) an image of the gluteal crease spread apart so he can see the base of the crease. Make sure whatever problems you have are visible. This can include pits, bumps, discoloration, open wounds or sinus tract openings.

(3) IMPORTANT: If there are openings next to the anus, a separate photo is necessary to demonstrate that area. It is important that we can see the relationship between the lowermost opening and the anus.

pilonidal disease
pilonidal

Above is an example of good photos. Having good lighting helps, and the best photos are usually taken by someone else.

Photo specifications:

  • The size should be at least several hundred kilobytes, a megabyte, or more. If the image size is below 100 kb it will be hard for Dr Immerman to zoom into the details he needs to see, and we will ask you to re-take the photos.
  • The photos should be in JPG format, not HEIC or PNG.
  • Attach the images to the email, do not insert into the body.
  • Do not embed the images in a Word document or PDF.
  • Do not send them by Google Drive. If you do, we will ask you to re-send them as described above.

Of course, it is up to you to agree to send these photos. We will provide you with a HIPAA compliant email to use to send them. We have found this to be an invaluable tool in speeding up the consultation process, but if you are not comfortable with this, the next option would be to come see Dr. Immerman for an in-person consultation.

Also, if you are planning a visit to us, please fill out and return the Medical History Form, Patient Registration Information, and insurance assignment form, and return it to us by mail or email before your visit. You can download these forms by following this link.