The traditional approach to thymectomy requires median sternotomy based on the assumption that it is the best means to achieve adequate resection margins, complete removal of the thymus and clearance of the anterior mediastinal fat. However, in recent years, VATS thymectomy has been gaining acceptance as a means to achieve adequate oncologic results and symptomatic improvement of myasthenic symptoms with less impact on the patient. We have adopted a flexible approach based on the location of the tumor and on whether the patient has myasthenia gravis (MG) or not when planning minimally invasive VATS thymectomy. A preferential approach from the left side is chosen for clinical stage I-II thymomas located on the left side or on the midline in patients without MG, and a bilateral approach (uniportal VATS on the right side and three-portal VATS on the left side) for MG patients with or without thymoma in order to achieve complete clearance of the anterior mediastinal fat on both sides. Such techniques are herewith clearly illustrated in hope that surgeons wishing to endeavor in such an effort will be facilitated.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jovs.2017.09.01 | DOI Listing |
Mediastinum
November 2024
University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Background And Objective: Thymic epithelial tumors, including thymomas and thymic carcinomas, represent the most common mediastinal tumors and account for up to 50% of all anterior mediastinal tumors. For early stages of these thymic tumors, complete resection of the entire thymus is the recommended treatment. The transition from open surgery to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and recently to robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) has fundamentally altered the treatment of thymic tumors.
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December 2024
Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, United States.
Though advancements have been made in the pharmacologic treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG), surgical resection is not only an option as a last line of defense for those patients who do not respond to medical therapy but also remains vital for those with thymic epithelial tumors (TET). While prior studies have shown the potential superiority of minimally invasive approaches via robotic- and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS/VATS) for thymectomy compared to open surgery, in the setting of malignancies, this outcome delineation is controversial. As RATS/VATS may be associated with less post-operative complications in the treatment of TET, some surgeons argue that the open approach is necessary for complete resection (R0 resection) and to prevent potential seeding of the malignancy.
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December 2024
Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, Jiangsu, China.
Background: While the subxiphoid approach (SA) in thoracoscopic thymectomy offers benefits in terms of fat removal and pain reduction, it remains unclear which patients with anterior mediastinal masses benefit most from the subxiphoid vs. the lateral intercostal approach (LA).
Methods: This retrospective study analyzed patients treated for anterior mediastinal masses at our center from January 2019 to December 2023.
J Thorac Dis
November 2024
Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Background: The standard treatment for thymomatous myasthenia gravis (TMG) patients is thymectomy, whereas its role in non-TMG (NTMG) is still under debate. The objective of this study is to assess myasthenia gravis (MG) outcomes of thymectomy using the uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UVATS) technique for both groups and evaluate the procedure's efficacy and safety.
Methods: We retrospectively collected data from January 2019 to December 2022 at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
Front Surg
November 2024
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Türkiye.
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