Subxiphoid approach for thoracoscopic thymectomy

Avoiding sternotomy, cumulative experience has demonstrated the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive thoracoscopic thymectomy. Previous reports describing the transcervical, left or right thoracic approach, although demonstrating promising results, involve some compromise of the surgical exposure. We designed a new approach through the subxiphoid route to perform extended thymectomy using the standard thoracoscopic technique. We used this approach on two consecutive patients. Additional port sites were created on both sides of the anterior chest wall for introducing instruments. This approach provides an excellent view of the bilateral pleural cavities, which is essential for adequate mediastinal fatty tissue dissection, especially because the surgical plan calls for removal of all the bilateral pericardiophrenic fat pads and the mediastinal fat tissue between the bilateral phrenic nerves. This approach omits the sternotomy while making extended thymectomy possible through the bilateral access. All the possible thymic-bearing mediastinal fat tissues can be removed under direct thoracoscopic view, which may subsequently translate into better results.