Thymectomy by thoracoscopic approach in myasthenia gravis

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Abstract
A series of 25 thoracoscopic thymectomies performed in the Department of General Surgery and Liver Transplantation of the Fundeni Clinical Institute between April 1999 and April 2000 is analyzed. Thoroscopic thymectomies were performed on 4 male patients (16%) and 21 female patients (84%), aged between 8 and 60 years. The mean operative time was 90 (+/-15) min. There were no conversions to open thymectomy. Mortality was nil, and morbidity consisted of one minor postoperative right pneumothorax probably related to a injury to right mediastinal pleura that was not observed intraoperatively. Hospital stay ranged from 2 to 4 days, with a mean of 2.28 days. The patients were transferred to the neurological department and they were usually discharged after 1 more day. Postoperatively, all patients had clinical improvement of their disease both in symptoms and medication requirements, but a longer follow-up is necessary. The results are edifying regarding the very low morbidity, the lack of mortality, the acceptance of the patients, and the short hospitalization.